Abstract: A hardness tester for a large test material is downsized by shortening a stroke length of the x-y stage. A hardness tester in accordance with the invention transfers the laser irradiating unit 70 two-dimensionally along the X or Y axis and irradiate a laser beam on the material W under test placed on the stage 10. The tester also monitors the laser beam visually and determine a target position to be measured and transfers the monitoring unit 45 to the determined target position along the X or Y axis and monitor the position by means of the monitoring unit 45. If the position does not fall on a boundary between crystals, the loading unit 55 is two-dimensionally transferred and forms a dent on the position by means of the penetrator 55a. An image of the dent is captured by the monitoring unit 45 and the hardness is determined by calculating a diagonal length of the dent by image processing.