diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/README.md b/common/test/data/test_start_date/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0810107838
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/README.md
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+Simple course. If start dates are on, non-staff users should see Overview, but not Ch 2.
diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/course.xml b/common/test/data/test_start_date/course.xml
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000..49041310f6
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+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/course.xml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+roots/2012_Fall.xml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/course/2012_Fall.xml b/common/test/data/test_start_date/course/2012_Fall.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..77eca9f46c
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+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/course/2012_Fall.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Welcome
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/html/toylab.html b/common/test/data/test_start_date/html/toylab.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..81df84bd63
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+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/html/toylab.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Lab 2A: Superposition Experiment
+
+Isn't the toy course great?
diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/html/toylab.xml b/common/test/data/test_start_date/html/toylab.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab78aeb494
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/html/toylab.xml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/policies/2012_Fall.json b/common/test/data/test_start_date/policies/2012_Fall.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a12ccecf1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/policies/2012_Fall.json
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{
+ "course/2012_Fall": {
+ "graceperiod": "2 days 5 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds",
+ "start": "2011-07-17T12:00",
+ "display_name": "Toy Course"
+ },
+ "chapter/Overview": {
+ "display_name": "Overview"
+ },
+ "chapter/Ch2": {
+ "display_name": "Chapter 2",
+ "start": "2015-07-17T12:00"
+ },
+ "videosequence/Toy_Videos": {
+ "display_name": "Toy Videos",
+ "format": "Lecture Sequence"
+ },
+ "html/toylab": {
+ "display_name": "Toy lab"
+ },
+ "video/Video_Resources": {
+ "display_name": "Video Resources"
+ },
+ "video/Welcome": {
+ "display_name": "Welcome"
+ }
+}
diff --git a/common/test/data/test_start_date/roots/2012_Fall.xml b/common/test/data/test_start_date/roots/2012_Fall.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..30dd5e0180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/data/test_start_date/roots/2012_Fall.xml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+