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How to Run an APC UPS Self-Test

Oct 21
3 min read

Updated: Oct 22

A self-test checks the battery condition in your APC UPS. Schneider Electric says the UPS runs on battery for about 10 seconds, tests its internal subsystems and the battery, and then returns to normal operation. This guide covers the steps Schneider Electric (the company behind the APC brand) publishes for three groups of APC units.

Covered in this guide: APC Back-UPS and Back-UPS Pro; Smart-UPS and Smart-UPS On-Line models with an LCD screen; older (legacy) Smart-UPS models without a screen.

Not covered yet: Network Management Card web or command-line steps, PowerChute Business Edition and Network Shutdown, the SmartConnect portal, and model-specific variations (for example Back-UPS ES/CS/BX button layouts, Smart-UPS C, Symmetra). For those, check your model's user manual. They aren't covered here because we haven't confirmed their steps against Schneider's documentation.

Before you start

  • Charge the battery fully. Schneider notes that a Smart-UPS battery test is valid only when the battery starts at 100% charge.

  • Check the load. For Back-UPS, Schneider says results are most accurate when the load is between 10% and 30% of the UPS rating. Heavier or lighter loads can skew the runtime estimate.

  • Know the risk. Schneider warns that a test done incorrectly, or by an unsupported method, can drop the connected load.

How often APC runs it on its own

  • Back-UPS runs a self-test every time it's powered on.

  • Smart-UPS runs one at power-on and then every two weeks by default. You can change the interval in PowerChute, on the LCD or through a Network Management Card. The interval counts from the last time the UPS was turned on, and it can't be set to a specific day or time.

Back-UPS and Back-UPS Pro

From the front panel

  1. Make sure the UPS is plugged in and turned on.

  2. Press and hold the power button.

  3. Release it when you hear two beeps or the Online light starts blinking. The self-test is now running.

From PowerChute Serial Shutdown (if the UPS is connected to a computer running it)

  1. Open PowerChute Serial Shutdown in a browser on that computer and log in.

  2. Click the UPS model name, then Diagnostics.

  3. Under Initiate Diagnostics, choose Self Test and click Apply.

  4. Watch Self-Test Status for Passed or Failed.

Button steps can differ by model, so check your user manual if your unit behaves differently.

Smart-UPS with an LCD screen (including Smart-UPS On-Line)

  1. Confirm the battery shows full charge.

  2. On the front display, open the Test & Diags menu.

  3. Select Self Test.

The UPS runs on battery for about 10 seconds. If it finds an issue, it aborts the test and goes straight back to online operation.

Older Smart-UPS without a screen

  1. Press and hold the I/Test button.

  2. After several seconds the UPS switches to battery. Release the button, and the test finishes on its own.

Reading the result

If the battery is failing, a Smart-UPS shows it with the Replace Battery light and/or a message on the LCD. Units with PowerChute Business Edition or a Network Management Card also send an alert. A test is only valid on a fully charged battery. Schneider's advice is to make sure the battery is 100% charged, then re-run the self-test with the normal load attached. If the Replace Battery light stays lit after that, the battery needs to be replaced (Schneider FA156513).

Battery failed?

If the battery needs replacing, we can help you find the right replacement battery or arrange service.

Request current price and availability: use the request form or email office@luxena.net.

Sources (Schneider Electric, se.com, checked 2026-10-21)

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