A built-in self-test (BIST) circuit to test one or more memory blocks on an integrated circuit. The one or more memory blocks further includes a first memory block and a second memory block A built-in soft-repair controller (BISoR) is provided to soft repair the one or more memory blocks. The BIST circuit in conjunction with the BISoR is configured to test and soft repair the first memory block before performing test and soft repair of the second memory block.