| 1 | Olga Vladykina-Bryzgina | URS | 51,62 | Q |
| 2 | Sandie Richards | JAM | 52,07 | Q |
| 3 | Charmaine Crooks | CAN | 52,49 | Q |
| 4 | Francisca Chepkurui | KEN | 53,21 | q |
| 5 | Assumpta Achuo Bei | CMR | 54,18 | |
| Kungu Bakombo | COD | DNS | ||
| P.T. Usha | IND | DNS |
| 1 | Petra Müller-Schersing | GDR | 51,68 | Q |
| 2 | Gisela Kinzel | FRG | 52,34 | Q |
| 3 | Blanca Lacambra | ESP | 52,46 | Q |
| 4 | Fabienne Ficher | FRA | 52,59 | q |
| 5 | Maria Usifo | NGR | 53,64 | q |
| 6 | Joycelin Joseph | ANT | 55,61 | |
| 7 | Anna Cherry | STL | 57,20 |
| 1 | Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina | URS | 51,38 | Q |
| 2 | Denean Howard-Hill | USA | 52,06 | Q |
| 3 | Ute Thimm | FRG | 52,48 | Q |
| 4 | Cathy Rattray-Williams | JAM | 52,64 | q |
| 5 | Mercy Addy | GHA | 54,13 | |
| 6 | Diane Dunrod-Francis | STK | 57,64 | |
| Mariam Zewde | ETH | DNF |
| 1 | Dagmar Rübsam-Neubauer | GDR | 51,96 | Q |
| 2 | Lillie Leatherwood | USA | 52,16 | Q |
| 3 | Marita Payne-Wiggins | CAN | 52,21 | Q |
| 4 | Josephine Mary Singarayar | MAS | 54,56 | |
| 5 | Nadine Mbitoloum | CHA | 1:01,71 | |
| Nawal El Moutawakil | MAR | DNS | ||
| Adina Valdez | TRI | DNS |
| 1 | Jillian Richardson | CAN | 51,94 | Q |
| 2 | Olga V. Nazarova | URS | 52,04 | Q |
| 3 | Maria Magnólia Figueiredo | BRA | 52,29 | Q |
| 4 | Helga Arendt | FRG | 52,80 | q |
| 5 | Judit Forgacs | HUN | 53,15 | q |
| 6 | Ester Petitón | CUB | 54,50 | |
| 7 | Vanessa Barlow | SAM | 1:01,53 |
| 1 | Kirsten Siemon-Emmelmann | GDR | 51,62 | Q |
| 2 | Diane Dixon | USA | 51,72 | Q |
| 3 | Ilrey Oliver | JAM | 53,59 | Q |
| 4 | Ruth Morris | ISV | 56,36 | |
| Cosetta Campana | ITA | DNS | ||
| Sharmila Ray Chakma | BAN | DNS |
| 1 | Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina | URS | 50,83 | Q |
| 2 | Jillian Richardson | CAN | 50,91 | Q |
| 3 | Lillie Leatherwood | USA | 50,95 | q |
| 4 | Dagmar Rübsam-Neubauer | GDR | 52,15 | |
| 5 | Cathy Rattray-Williams | JAM | 52,51 | |
| 6 | Fabienne Ficher | FRA | 52,58 | |
| 7 | Helga Arendt | FRG | 52,80 | |
| 8 | Blanca Lacambra | ESP | 54,72 |
| 1 | Petra Müller-Schersing | GDR | 50,15 | Q |
| 2 | Olga Vladykina-Bryzgina | URS | 50,88 | Q |
| 3 | Denean Howard-Hill | USA | 51,28 | |
| 4 | Charmaine Crooks | CAN | 51,69 | |
| 5 | Maria Magnólia Figueiredo | BRA | 52,24 | |
| 6 | Gisela Kinzel | FRG | 52,66 | |
| 7 | Judit Forgacs | HUN | 52,99 | |
| 8 | Ilrey Oliver | JAM | 53,35 |
| 1 | Kirsten Siemon-Emmelmann | GDR | 50,53 | Q |
| 2 | Diane Dixon | USA | 50,83 | Q |
| 3 | Olga V. Nazarova | URS | 51,07 | q |
| 4 | Ute Thimm | FRG | 51,23 | |
| 5 | Sandie Richards | JAM | 51,54 | |
| 6 | Marita Payne-Wiggins | CAN | 51,75 | |
| 7 | Francisca Chepkurui | KEN | 52,86 | |
| Maria Usifo | NGR | DNS |