Half channel angular extrusion(HCAE) is the integration of equal channel angular extrusion(ECAE), which is a well-known severe plastic deformation(SPD) method, with conventional forward extrusion in order to increase the strain per pass and effectiveness of the grain refinement. In the current study, the effects of processing routes during HCAE(Routes A, B, and C) on the strain distribution of the specimens have been investigated for an AZ61 Mg alloy by using three-dimensional finite element analysis. Comparisons with the results from a multi-pass of ECAE are made.