We evaluated the performance of the NOW $Streptococcus$ $pneumoniae$ urinary antigen test, standard culture and polymerase chain reaction for detecting $S.$ $pneumoniae$. The urinary antigen test of pneumonia patients represented sensitivity at 72% and specificity at 79%. The results of PCR were targeting for autolysin ($lyt$A), pneumolysin ($ply$), and spn9828. The $lyt$A sensitivity and specificity stood at 56% and 87% respectively while $ply$ sensitivity reported 83% and specificity was 47%, sensitivity and specificity of spn9828 stood at 83% and 73% respectively. The results of urinary antigen test and three genes were all statistically meaningful within $P$ <0.05. When the urinary antigen test of $S.$ $pneumoniae$ was positive, the three kinds of genes were also likely to be positive. According to the result of urinary antigen test, the results of PCR presented a meaningful difference ($P$ <0.05). Especially, the urinary antigen test of $S.$ $pneumoniae$ was likely to be positive ($P$ <0.05) when more than two genes were positive in PCR results.