In this paper, an analytic study is presented to investigate the effect of crack length on the single-lap shear joint under tensile load and to analyze the distribution of adhesive shear stress. A parametric study was conducted in accordance with changes in dimensions of the pre-crack position to evaluate shear stress along the bonded joint. A finite element analysis (FEA) was proposed for validation of our analytic model and for determination of stress concentration points of the pre-crack and the two edges of the bonded assembly. Results in this paper show good agreement between analytic study and the FEA model for shear stress at both free edges of adhesive.