An apparatus, comprising: a flash array of multilevel memory cells ; control circuitry configured to apply a first sensing voltage to a selected access line to which a group of multilevel memory cells in the array is coupled; sense circuitry configured to sense whether at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group conducts responsive to the first sensing voltage; and a buffer coupled to the sensing circuitry , wherein the apparatus is configured to: responsive to conduction of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group that indicates in response to the first sensing voltage, assign a discharge flag value to the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; responsive to assignment of the discharge flag value , update a value of a stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; determine whether the conduction of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group has changed responsive to the first sensing voltage by reference to the stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; and compare stored expected data values with the stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group to determine whether the first sensing voltage is a threshold voltage for a particular program state (451-454) of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group. a flash array of multilevel memory cells ; control circuitry configured to apply a first sensing voltage to a selected access line to which a group of multilevel memory cells in the array is coupled; sense circuitry configured to sense whether at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group conducts responsive to the first sensing voltage; and a buffer coupled to the sensing circuitry , wherein the apparatus is configured to: responsive to conduction of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group that indicates in response to the first sensing voltage, assign a discharge flag value to the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; responsive to assignment of the discharge flag value , update a value of a stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; determine whether the conduction of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group has changed responsive to the first sensing voltage by reference to the stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; and compare stored expected data values with the stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group to determine whether the first sensing voltage is a threshold voltage for a particular program state (451-454) of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group. responsive to conduction of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group that indicates in response to the first sensing voltage, assign a discharge flag value to the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; responsive to assignment of the discharge flag value , update a value of a stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; determine whether the conduction of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group has changed responsive to the first sensing voltage by reference to the stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group; and compare stored expected data values with the stored discharge indicator for the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group to determine whether the first sensing voltage is a threshold voltage for a particular program state (451-454) of the at least one of the multilevel memory cells of the group. <EOS>