The present application discloses a random access method and apparatus. The method includes: grouping, by a network device, available random access resources into a plurality of random access resource groups; sending, by the network device, information about the plurality of random access resource groups to a terminal device; receiving, by the network device, a random access request that is sent by the terminal device based on the information about the plurality of random access resources groups; determining, by the network device, a target random access resource group to which a random access resource used for the random access request belongs; and determining, by the network device, an uplink transmission capability of the terminal device based on the target random access resource group.