This paper presents a software-based approach for testing IEEE1500-compliant SoCs. In the proposed approach, the test program is no more executed by the external-traditional tester but by the SoC itself. The novel feature is the use of a dedicated test processor called T-Proc embedded onto the SoC to test the components. Under the control of the embedded SoC microprocessor, the test processor executes the test programs stored in the outside external memory, through a functional embedded external RAM controller interface. Using the ITC02 SoC benchmarks a comparison is done between T-Proc and a classical bus-based test strategy.