diff --git a/validate/validate_test.go b/validate/validate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d1183bb3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/validate/validate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package validate
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	rspec "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
+)
+
+func checkErrors(t *testing.T, title string, msgs []string, valid bool) {
+	if valid && len(msgs) > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("%s: expected not to get error, but get %d errors:\n%s", title, len(msgs), strings.Join(msgs, "\n"))
+	} else if !valid && len(msgs) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("%s: expected to get error, but actually not", title)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCheckSemVer(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		val      string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{rspec.Version, true},
+		//FIXME: validate currently only handles rpsec.Version
+		{"0.0.1", false},
+		{"invalid", false},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		v := NewValidator(rspec.Spec{Version: c.val}, "", false)
+		checkErrors(t, "checkSemVer "+c.val, v.CheckSemVer(), c.expected)
+	}
+}