An apparatus and method provides prediction of BER for an interface between ICs, such as a processor and a memory device, without using special test equipment. A known data pattern or PRBS is transmitted to a receiver, which compares the received data values with expected data values to determine if a bit error has occurred in an embodiment of the present invention. A center of data eye and the edge of the data eye are sampled (over sampled) in order to determine if a bit error has occurred in an alternate embodiment of the present invention. A first counter is used to count the total number of bits sampled and the second counter is used to count the number of errors that occurred in the total number of bits sampled.