An apparatus and a method for inspecting and analyzing a semiconductor integrated circuit can qualitatively and quantitatively distinguish defects caused by design and other defects by analyzing the kind and frequency of divisors between intervals of respective faulty elements. An interval .vertline..DELTA.x.vertline. in an X-direction, an interval .vertline..DELTA.y.vertline. in a Y-direction and an interval .vertline..DELTA.xy.vertline. derived by mulitplying the X-coordinate and the Y-direction between faulty elements with each other in an XY orthogonal coordinate system are calculated. Divisors for respective values of the intervals .vertline..DELTA.x.vertline., .vertline..DELTA.y.vertline. and .vertline..DELTA.xy.vertline. and number .SIGMA.m of each divisor, are calculated. A relationship between a distribution of the faulty elements and a design standard for the kind and number .SIGMA.m of the divisors for circuit being tested is evaluated.