PURPOSE: To stabilize quickly the learning items that take the presence or absence of the directivity of a rolled material into consideration and to set optimum rolling load in a rolling mill in the stage of reversible rolling by using values of said learning items in calculating the predicted rolling load.

CONSTITUTION: Predicted rolling load Psi+1 is determined from the product of rolling load Pi+1 and the learning item Zi at each rolling pass and if a rolled material has directivity, the values of the item Zi differing in odd passes and even passes are used. If the rolled material has no directivity, the value of the same item Zi to be updated at every odd pass and even pass is used in performing reversible rolling.