In various examples, a test system is provided for executing built-in-self-test (BIST) on integrated circuits deployed in the field. The integrated circuits may include a first device and a second device, the first device having direct access to external memory, which stores test data, and the second device having indirect access to the external memory by way of the first device. In addition to providing a mechanism to permit the first device and the second device to run test concurrently, the hardware and software may reduce memory requirements and runtime associated with running the test sequences, thereby making real-time BIST possible in deployment. Furthermore, some embodiments permit a single external memory image to cater to different SKU configurations.