The effect of preparation method on the properties of Co supported beta-zeolite catalysts was examined in this study. Co-supported beta-zeolite catalysts (20wt.% Co as Ca3O4) were prepared by impregnation (IMP20), incipient wetness (IW20), physical mixing (PHY20) and precipitation (PCT20) methods and were characterized by various methods including N-2 adsorption (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H-2 thermal programmed reduction (H-2-TPR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis was carried out over these catalysts at 230 degrees C and 1 MPa in a fixed-bed flow-type reactor. XPS and H-2-TPR analyses suggest that the catalysts can be ranked in terms of metal-support interactions: PCT20>IMP20 congruent to IW20>PHY20. On the other hand, based on reducibility, the catalysts were ordered as follows: PHY20>IMP20 congruent to IW20>PCT20. The catalytic activity and product selectivity during FT synthesis were also found to depend on the catalyst preparation method. The catalyst prepared by the incipient wetness method exhibited the highest CO conversion with high liquid production, whereas the physically mixed catalyst showed the lowest CO conversion. All the catalysts produced gasoline-range liquid hydrocarbons (C-5 -C-11) mainly and the selectivity towards i-paraffins was more than 60% in the case of the catalyst prepared by precipitation. Furthermore, the composition of liquid products produced over catalysts prepared by the impregnation and incipient wetness methods were similar to each other. Thus, the results of the study clearly show that the physico-chemical properties of the catalysts as well as catalytic activities and product selectivity during the FT reaction strongly depend on the catalyst preparation method. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.