diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/tests.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5001d11bd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+from datetime import timedelta
+import ddt
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from xmodule.modulestore.tests.django_utils import ModuleStoreTestCase
+from xmodule.modulestore.tests.factories import CourseFactory, ItemFactory
+from . import utils
+
+
+@ddt.ddt
+class SelfPacedDueDatesTests(ModuleStoreTestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.course = CourseFactory.create()
+        for i in range(4):
+            ItemFactory(parent=self.course, category="sequential", display_name="Section {}".format(i))
+
+    def test_basic_spacing(self):
+        expected_sections = [
+            (0, 'Section 0', timedelta(days=7)),
+            (1, 'Section 1', timedelta(days=14)),
+            (2, 'Section 2', timedelta(days=21)),
+            (3, 'Section 3', timedelta(days=28)),
+        ]
+        with patch.object(utils, 'get_expected_duration', return_value=timedelta(weeks=4)):
+            actual = [(idx, section.display_name, offset) for (idx, section, offset) in utils.spaced_out_sections(self.course)]
+
+        self.assertEqual(actual, expected_sections)
+
+    def test_hidden_sections(self):
+        for _ in range(2):
+            ItemFactory(parent=self.course, category="sequential", visible_to_staff_only=True)
+        expected_sections = [
+            (0, 'Section 0', timedelta(days=7)),
+            (1, 'Section 1', timedelta(days=14)),
+            (2, 'Section 2', timedelta(days=21)),
+            (3, 'Section 3', timedelta(days=28)),
+        ]
+        with patch.object(utils, 'get_expected_duration', return_value=timedelta(weeks=4)):
+            actual = [(idx, section.display_name, offset) for (idx, section, offset) in utils.spaced_out_sections(self.course)]
+
+        self.assertEqual(actual, expected_sections)
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/utils.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/utils.py
index 4ff133f21e..823e590f92 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/utils.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/course_date_signals/utils.py
@@ -43,7 +43,12 @@ def spaced_out_sections(course):
         relative time (timedelta): the amount of weeks to complete the section, since start of course
     """
     duration = get_expected_duration(course)
-    sections = course.get_children()
+    sections = [
+        section
+        for section
+        in course.get_children()
+        if not section.visible_to_staff_only
+    ]
     weeks_per_section = duration / len(sections)
     for idx, section in enumerate(sections):
         yield idx, section, weeks_per_section * (idx + 1)