In　order　to　investigate　the　seismic　behavior　of　prestressed　concrete　(PC)　walls,　the　loading　protocol　of　the　shear　walls　subjected　to　variable　axial　tension-compression　forces　and　cyclic　shear　loading　was　proposed.　Quasi-static　cyclic　shear　loading　tests　were　conducted　on　three　prestressed　concrete　walls　that　had　the　shear-to-span　ratio　of　1.0,　where　one　specimen　was　under　a　constant　axial　tensile　force,　another　under　a　constant　axial　compressive　force,　and　the　other　under　variable　axial　tension-compression　forces.　The　failure　modes,　hysteretic　responses,　strength,　deformation　capacity,　lateral　stiffness,　and　residual　crack　width　of　PC　wall　specimens　were　investigated,　and　they　were　compared　to　those　of　the　steel　reinforced　concrete　(SRC)　wall　and　reinforced　concrete　(RC)　wall.　The　test　results　indicate　that　the　PC　wall　specimen　under　a　constant　axial　tensile　force　failed　in　web　shear　failure　mode,　the　wall　under　a　constant　compressive　force　failed　in　diagonal　compression　failure　mode,　and　the　wall　under　variable　axial　tension-compression　forces　failed　in　shear　compression　failure　mode.　The　variable　axial　tension-compression　forces　decrease　the　tensile-shear　strength　and　compressive-shear　strength　of　the　PC　wall　specimens　by　18.7%　and　10.5%,　respectively.　The　PC　wall　specimens　under　the　constant　axial　tensile　force　and　variable　axial　tension-compressive　forces　have　the　ultimate　drift　ratio　ranging　from　1.2%　to　1.6%,　which　exceeds　the　inelastic　drift　limit　of　1/100　specified　in　the　Chinese　technical　specification　for　concrete　structures　of　tall　buildings　(JGJ　3-2010).　Because　the　PC　wall　specimen　with　the　constant　axial　compressive　force　had　the　maximum　shear　load　exceeding　the　upper　limit　of　the　wall＇s　shear　strength,　it　failed　in　diagonal　compression　failure　at　a　small　ultimate　drift　ratio　of　0.6%.　The　PC　wall　specimen　has　similar　lateral　stiffness,　strength,　and　deformation　capacity　as　the　SRC　wall　specimen.　The　former　has　smaller　residual　crack　width　than　the　latter,　indicating　superior　reparability　of　PC　walls.　Because　the　prestressed　force　controls　the　development　of　thorough　horizontal　cracks　and　prevents　the　shear　sliding　failure　along　the　horizontal　cracks,　the　PC　wall　specimen　with　high　axial　tensile　force　has　significantly　larger　lateral　stiffness　and　strength　than　conventional　RC　wall　specimen.　In　general,　the　PC　walls　show　excellent　seismic　behavior　and　thus　can　be　used　as　an　effective　approach　to　improve　the　seismic　performance　for　walls　subject　to　tension　load　in　high-rise　buildings.　©　2022,　Editorial　Office　of　Journal　of　Building　Structures.　All　right　reserved.