TEST CIRCUIT, PATTERN GENERATING APPARATUS, AND PATTERN GENERATING METHOD

A test circuit connected between a test target circuit and a plurality of external terminals includes N first holding circuits to hold respectively N unit patterns produced by dividing an internal signal pattern to be input to or output from the test target circuit by N, where N is a natural number of two or greater, and a control circuit to make the internal signal pattern held in the N first holding circuits be changed selectively on a unit pattern basis based on a value of an identification signal assigned to each of the unit patterns beforehand, or to make the internal signal pattern held in the N first holding circuits be output selectively on a unit pattern basis based on the values of the identification signal.