The effect of cooling rate on carbide precipitation during quenching of austenitic manganese steel was investigated by optical microscopy, image analyzer and numerical analysis. A computer program based on the finite difference method for analyzing heat treatment processes was developed in order to evaluate cooling rates and the possibility of carbide precipitation during quenching. The area ratio of carbide precipitated in the austenite matrix was measured by the image analyzer, and used to determine the critical point of carbide precipitation. Temperature-dependent critical cooling rates at the critical points were calculated using the present simulation program, The calculated results showed a good agreement with the experimental ones.