An apparatus and a method determines a short-term driving tendency. The apparatus may include a driving information collecting unit configured to collect driving information for determining the short-term driving tendency, a short-term driving tendency calculating module configured to receive input variables for determining the short-term driving tendency and calculate a short-term driving tendency index using a fuzzy control theory, and a calculation prohibition control module configured to check an accelerator position sensor (APS) signal of the vehicle and prohibit calculation of the short-term driving tendency index when an APS opening degree is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value.