A faulty discharge detection technique to detect faulty discharge of nozzles in an ink jet recording apparatus includes recording a test pattern onto a recording medium so as to include at least two or more reference marks in the width direction of the recording medium, reading the test pattern by a scanner unit, determining whether or not there is a faulty discharge image from image data read in the test pattern reading, and calculating faulty discharge nozzle position to, in the event that there is a faulty discharge image in the image data, detect the reference marks and detect the position of nozzles in a faulty discharge state from the position of the faulty discharge image in the image data.