A new test pattern which consists of performing "very small jumps" and "very big jumps" within the matrix. The "very small jumps" are controlled by the row decoder, and have the effect of sensitizing the resistive open defects which lead to slow-to-fall behavior in the word line. A "very small jump" means that the memory position of two consecutive accesses remains in a unique sub-cluster until all rows in that sub-cluster have been tested, remains in the same cluster until all rows in that cluster have been tested, remains in the same U section until all rows in that U section have been tested, and finally, remains in the same Z block until all of the rows of that Z block have been tested. The "very big jumps" are intended to cover the class of resistive open defects which leads to slow-to-rise behavior, and is intended to mean that two consecutive memory accesses must never stay in the same subcluster, at the same cluster, or at the same U section.