Estimating uncertainty of measurement is an effective route to improve quality of surface figure testing in laboratories. To promote the popularization and application of measurement uncertainty in the field of interferometric surface figure testing, the latest progress of uncertainty evaluation in figure measurements is reviewed. The associated international standards of metrological traceability and uncertainty are introduced. Evaluating measurement uncertainty with the bottom-up approach (i.e. modelling approach) and top-down approach is mainly introduced. The progress and development of uncertainty evaluation are focused on in interferometric surface figure measurements. The development direction and further development of uncertainty evaluation method in interferometric surface figure measurements are prospected.