Abstract: An electric motor is tested by sensing the phase of an alternating current waveform to be applied to the motor, and applying the waveform to the motor in response to the phase of the waveform reaching a preselected value to start the motor. The voltage and current are sampled at predetermined times measured from the application of the waveform to the motor until a predetermined number of voltage and current samples are obtained. Parameter samples are generated from the voltage and current samples, the parameter being a function of the applied voltage and current. The parameter samples are compared with a previously obtained set of reference parameter sample values, the reference sample values having error limits for each reference sample value. The motor is rejected if at least a predetermined number of the parameter samples fall outside the error limits for those particular samples.