Information recording medium with prepit and recording/reproducing apparatus and method using the same

A recording/reproducing method for recording data on an information recording medium or reproducing data recorded on the information recording medium, the recording/reproducing method comprising:

• reading information indicating whether a first middle area is embossed, from a predetermined area in the information recording medium comprising a data area configured to store user data;
• the first middle area whose location is fixed, and which is configured to be embossed by a manufacturer;
• a second middle area which is variably positioned according to the amount of the user data to be recorded in the data area, and the predetermined area configured to store the information indicating whether the first middle area is embossed;
• and
• recording data for finalization in the first middle area during finalization of the information recording medium, when the information indicates that the first middle area is not embossed, and
• wherein an outer circumference of the first middle area is adjacent to an unused area, an outer circumference of the unused area is adjacent to a buffer area, and an outer circumference of the buffer area is adjacent to a test area.