Four exterior joints with special-shaped columns which have different lengths of limbs are tested under low cyclic loading. Special-shaped columns adopted are L- and T-shaped in section. It can be concluded that crack pattern, failure mode and shear strength of joints are affected by the length of limb, and that shear strength and ductility increase with the length of limb; the joints with the flexural failure of the beam have better seismic behavior than those with the shear failure of the joint core.