As a part of a fundamental study of the kinetics of rapid smelting reduction of iron oxide with solid carbon, particles of carbon-coated iron ore were prepared by heating a mixture of iron ore and phenolphthalein (a model compound of coal tar) at 773 K in a nitrogen stream. The reduction behavior of the carbon-coated iron ore particles during rapid heating was studied using a drop-tube reactor at temperatures from 1.073 to 1,773 K. The reduction extent increased rapidly with the beginning of melting at temperatures over 1,650 K, reaching 60% at 1,773 within 0.7 s. The observed charges in the distribution of iron states in the particles were successfully simulated.