The conventional practice of calculating consolidation settlement in one-dimensional conditions involves dividing soft ground into multiple layers to enable an accurate estimation. However, the effect of layering on consolidation settlement has not been clearly verified. The authors propose an analytical solution to the case where the ground is divided infinitely for normally consolidated soils. The effect of error caused by layering in conventional practice is presented as well. Based on the suggested analytical solution, it is found that the conventional settlement calculation method always underestimates consolidation settlement. In addition, a representative depth for the conventional method in which the soft ground is not divided is suggested for calculating the same consolidation settlement as that obtained by the analytical solution.