Abstract: Indentation load-depth curves of metallic materials were obtained by continuous spherical indentation tests. The curves were transformed into the representative stress-strain data by calculation, and then the data was fitted to obtain the strain hardening exponent n. The detecting method for n values by continuous spherical indentation tests was corrected by using the material plastic expansion index to determine the complete plastic deformation interval of the material, using the iterative algorithm to correct the plastic constraint factor, and considering the indentation accumulation effect to obtain the true contact depth. The correction method was used to calculate n values of eight materials including 6061 aluminum alloy, 6063 aluminum alloy, 45 steel, ST steel, AIF1 alloy, X52 steel, X60 steel and SK3 steel, and the obtained n values were compared with those by uniaxial tensile tests. The results show that the relative errors between the n values obtained by the uncorrected method and the tensile tests were more than 10%. After correction by the three methods, the relative errors were reduced; all were reduced to less than 5% except the relative error of X60 steel, that was 8.6%.