This study investigated a method for the determination of the J-integral for a tough glassy polymer such as polycarbonate plates by using the method of caustics. Comparing the values of J-integral determined by a numerical analysis and by the method of caustics, the method of caustics was found to be an effective experimental technique for the determination of the J-integral. The ratio between two J-integrals determined by the method of caustics and by finite element method converged into 1 within the limit of low load. However, it was noticed that the greater the plastic zone at the crack tip was, the lower the J-integral obtained by the reflect method of caustics. This difference may be deduced from the damage at the crack tip such as craze appeared in the polycarbonate plate. It was confirmed that the ratio of longitudinal diameter( $D_{l}$ ) to transverse diameter ( $D_{t}$) of caustics generally converged into 1 at the low load. The transition of the state of stress at the vicinity of a crack tip from plane strain to plane stress was deduced by noticing that the longitudinal diameter( $D_{l}$ ) grew faster than the transverse diameter( $D_{t}$) of caustics within the higher load range.