diff --git a/tests/__main__.py b/tests/__main__.py
index e8c49c9fb..85d6be7b8 100644
--- a/tests/__main__.py
+++ b/tests/__main__.py
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@
 def suite(*args, **kw):
 
     import test_simple
-    test_suite = unittest.TestSuite()
+    import test_excel
     test_list = [
         test_simple,
+        test_excel
         ]
 
+    test_suite = unittest.TestSuite()
     for test in test_list:
         test_suite.addTest(test.suite())
     return test_suite
diff --git a/tests/test_excel.py b/tests/test_excel.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a11571c4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_excel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+
+"""
+simple unit tests for this package
+"""
+
+import os
+import sys
+import unittest
+
+PATH = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+_path = os.path.join(PATH, '..')
+if _path not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, _path)
+
+import apstools.utils
+
+
+class Test_Demo3(unittest.TestCase):
+    
+    xl_file = os.path.join(PATH, "demo3.xlsx")
+    
+    def test_ExcelTable_normal_read(self):
+        xl = apstools.utils.ExcelDatabaseFileGeneric(self.xl_file)
+        self.assertEqual(len(xl.db), 9)             # rows
+        self.assertEqual(len(xl.db["0"]), 7)        # columns
+        self.assertTrue("Unnamed: 7" in xl.db["0"])
+        self.assertEqual(xl.db["0"]["Unnamed: 7"], 8.0)
+    
+    def test_ExcelTable_ignore_extra_false(self):
+        xl = apstools.utils.ExcelDatabaseFileGeneric(self.xl_file, ignore_extra=False)
+        self.assertEqual(len(xl.db), 16)            # rows
+        self.assertEqual(len(xl.db["0"]), 9)        # columns
+
+
+def suite(*args, **kw):
+    test_list = [
+        Test_Demo3,
+        ]
+    test_suite = unittest.TestSuite()
+    for test_case in test_list:
+        test_suite.addTest(unittest.makeSuite(test_case))
+    return test_suite
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    runner=unittest.TextTestRunner()
+    runner.run(suite())