Abstract: A new activation method, supercritical water activation (650℃, 32Pa), and a traditional method, steam activation (650℃), were used to prepare phenolic resin based activated carbons. Based on pore structure characterization of the samples by nitrogen adsorption and weight loss behavior of the starting materials by TG/DSC analysis, the effects of the two different activation methods and the degree of carbonization of the starting materials on the evolution of the pore structure of phenolic resin-based activated carbons were obtained. Results show that: (1) supercritical water activation benefits the development of mesoporosity, while steam activation benefits the development of microporosity; (2) activated carbons with high specific surface area and mesoporosity were obtained at a low degree of burn-off from phenolic resin-based carbons carbonized to a low degree.