diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_xml_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_xml_module.py
index 6581ce58f6..a853e6ab3f 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_xml_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/tests/test_xml_module.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from xmodule.x_module import XModuleFields
 from xblock.core import Scope, String, Dict, Boolean, Integer, Float, Any, List
 from xmodule.fields import Date, Timedelta
-from xmodule.xml_module import XmlDescriptor, serialize_field, deserialize_field
+from xmodule.xml_module import XmlDescriptor, serialize_field, deserialize_field, serialize_string_literal
 import unittest
 from .import get_test_system
 from nose.tools import assert_equals
@@ -186,12 +186,27 @@ class TestSerialize(unittest.TestCase):
         assert_equals('"false"', serialize_field('false'))
         assert_equals('"fAlse"', serialize_field('fAlse'))
         assert_equals('"hat box"', serialize_field('hat box'))
-        assert_equals('{"bar": "hat", "frog": "green"}', serialize_field({'bar': 'hat', 'frog' : 'green'}))
+        assert_equals('{"bar": "hat", "frog": "green"}', serialize_field({'bar': 'hat', 'frog': 'green'}))
         assert_equals('[3.5, 5.6]', serialize_field([3.5, 5.6]))
         assert_equals('["foo", "bar"]', serialize_field(['foo', 'bar']))
         assert_equals('"2012-12-31T23:59:59Z"', serialize_field("2012-12-31T23:59:59Z"))
         assert_equals('"1 day 12 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds"',
-            serialize_field("1 day 12 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds"))
+                      serialize_field("1 day 12 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds"))
+
+    def test_serialize_string_literal(self):
+        assert_equals('2', serialize_string_literal('2'))
+        assert_equals('2.589', serialize_string_literal('2.589'))
+        assert_equals('false', serialize_string_literal('false'))
+        assert_equals('fAlse', serialize_string_literal('fAlse'))
+        assert_equals('hat box', serialize_string_literal('hat box'))
+        assert_equals('2012-12-31T23:59:59Z', serialize_string_literal("2012-12-31T23:59:59Z"))
+        assert_equals('1 day 12 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds',
+                      serialize_string_literal("1 day 12 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds"))
+
+        try:
+            self.assertRaises(serialize_string_literal(2.31))
+        except Exception:
+            pass
 
 
 class TestDeserialize(unittest.TestCase):