diff --git a/doc/api/test.md b/doc/api/test.md
index 85156b7599ee40..e1639cab9ce585 100644
--- a/doc/api/test.md
+++ b/doc/api/test.md
@@ -472,9 +472,12 @@ By default, Node.js will run all files matching these patterns:
 Unless [`--no-experimental-strip-types`][] is supplied, the following
 additional patterns are also matched:
 
-* `**/test/**/*-test.{cts,mts,ts}`
-* `**/test/**/*.test.{cts,mts,ts}`
-* `**/test/**/*_test.{cts,mts,ts}`
+* `**/*.test.{cts,mts,ts}`
+* `**/*-test.{cts,mts,ts}`
+* `**/*_test.{cts,mts,ts}`
+* `**/test-*.{cts,mts,ts}`
+* `**/test.{cts,mts,ts}`
+* `**/test/**/*.{cts,mts,ts}`
 
 Alternatively, one or more glob patterns can be provided as the
 final argument(s) to the Node.js command, as shown below.
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
index 0f40fa1016b504..4c2949f4158ab1 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ let kResistStopPropagation;
 function createTestFileList(patterns, cwd) {
   const hasUserSuppliedPattern = patterns != null;
   if (!patterns || patterns.length === 0) {
-    patterns = kDefaultPattern;
+    patterns = [kDefaultPattern];
   }
   const glob = new Glob(patterns, {
     __proto__: null,
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js
index 4e1a21df976b17..44789451d18335 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ const kRegExpPattern = /^\/(.*)\/([a-z]*)$/;
 
 const kPatterns = ['test', 'test/**/*', 'test-*', '*[._-]test'];
 const kFileExtensions = ['js', 'mjs', 'cjs'];
-const kDefaultPattern = [`**/{${ArrayPrototypeJoin(kPatterns, ',')}}.{${ArrayPrototypeJoin(kFileExtensions, ',')}}`];
 if (getOptionValue('--experimental-strip-types')) {
-  ArrayPrototypePush(kDefaultPattern, '**/test/**/*{-,.,_}test.{cts,mts,ts}');
+  ArrayPrototypePush(kFileExtensions, 'ts', 'mts', 'cts');
 }
+const kDefaultPattern = `**/{${ArrayPrototypeJoin(kPatterns, ',')}}.{${ArrayPrototypeJoin(kFileExtensions, ',')}}`;
 
 function createDeferredCallback() {
   let calledCount = 0;
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ function parseCommandLine() {
     if (!coverageExcludeGlobs || coverageExcludeGlobs.length === 0) {
       // TODO(pmarchini): this default should follow something similar to c8 defaults
       // Default exclusions should be also exported to be used by other tools / users
-      coverageExcludeGlobs = kDefaultPattern;
+      coverageExcludeGlobs = [kDefaultPattern];
     }
     coverageIncludeGlobs = getOptionValue('--test-coverage-include');
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/test/typescript-test.cts b/test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/typescript-test.cts
similarity index 100%
rename from test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/test/typescript-test.cts
rename to test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/typescript-test.cts
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/test/typescript-test.mts b/test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/typescript-test.mts
similarity index 100%
rename from test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/test/typescript-test.mts
rename to test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/typescript-test.mts
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/test/typescript-test.ts b/test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/typescript-test.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/test/typescript-test.ts
rename to test/fixtures/test-runner/matching-patterns/typescript-test.ts