diff --git a/spec/helpers/marble-testing.js b/spec/helpers/marble-testing.js
index 38f2b25fd9..513af63d0f 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/marble-testing.js
+++ b/spec/helpers/marble-testing.js
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ function cold() {
   return global.rxTestScheduler.createColdObservable.apply(global.rxTestScheduler, arguments);
 }
 
+function time() {
+  if (!global.rxTestScheduler) {
+    throw 'tried to use time() in async test';
+  }
+  return global.rxTestScheduler.createTime.apply(global.rxTestScheduler, arguments);
+}
+
 function expectObservable() {
   if (!global.rxTestScheduler) {
     throw 'tried to use expectObservable() in async test';
@@ -33,6 +40,7 @@ function assertDeepEqual(actual, expected) {
 module.exports = {
   hot: hot,
   cold: cold,
+  time: time,
   expectObservable: expectObservable,
   expectSubscriptions: expectSubscriptions,
   assertDeepEqual: assertDeepEqual
diff --git a/spec/helpers/test-helper.js b/spec/helpers/test-helper.js
index 881a713e45..c90cf28378 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/test-helper.js
+++ b/spec/helpers/test-helper.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ var marbleHelpers = require('./marble-testing');
 global.rxTestScheduler = null;
 global.cold = marbleHelpers.cold;
 global.hot = marbleHelpers.hot;
+global.time = marbleHelpers.time;
 global.expectObservable = marbleHelpers.expectObservable;
 global.expectSubscriptions = marbleHelpers.expectSubscriptions;
 
diff --git a/spec/helpers/tests2png/diagram-test-runner.js b/spec/helpers/tests2png/diagram-test-runner.js
index f48ffef152..3e70bc6fba 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/tests2png/diagram-test-runner.js
+++ b/spec/helpers/tests2png/diagram-test-runner.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ var painter = require('./painter');
 global.rxTestScheduler = null;
 global.cold = marbleHelpers.cold;
 global.hot = marbleHelpers.hot;
+global.time = marbleHelpers.time;
 global.expectObservable = marbleHelpers.expectObservable;
 global.expectSubscriptions = marbleHelpers.expectSubscriptions;
 
diff --git a/spec/schedulers/TestScheduler-spec.js b/spec/schedulers/TestScheduler-spec.js
index ce2baf396a..fe19ca7dc3 100644
--- a/spec/schedulers/TestScheduler-spec.js
+++ b/spec/schedulers/TestScheduler-spec.js
@@ -85,6 +85,21 @@ describe('TestScheduler', function () {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('createTime()', function () {
+    it('should parse a simple time marble string to a number', function () {
+      var scheduler = new TestScheduler();
+      var time = scheduler.createTime('-----|');
+      expect(time).toBe(50);
+    });
+
+    it('should throw if not given good marble input', function () {
+      var scheduler = new TestScheduler();
+      expect(function () {
+        var time = scheduler.createTime('-a-b-#');
+      }).toThrow();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('createColdObservable()', function () {
     it('should create a cold observable', function () {
       var expected = ['A', 'B'];
@@ -151,6 +166,17 @@ describe('TestScheduler', function () {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('time()', function () {
+      it('should exist', function () {
+        expect(time).toBeDefined();
+        expect(typeof time).toBe('function');
+      });
+
+      it('should parse a simple time marble string to a number', function () {
+        expect(time('-----|')).toBe(50);
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('expectObservable()', function () {
       it('should exist', function () {
         expect(expectObservable).toBeDefined();
diff --git a/src/testing/TestScheduler.ts b/src/testing/TestScheduler.ts
index 5441f6191d..542467424d 100644
--- a/src/testing/TestScheduler.ts
+++ b/src/testing/TestScheduler.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ export class TestScheduler extends VirtualTimeScheduler {
     super();
   }
 
+  createTime(marbles: string): number {
+    const indexOf: number = marbles.indexOf('|');
+    if (indexOf === -1) {
+      throw new Error('Marble diagram for time should have a completion marker "|"');
+    }
+    return indexOf * TestScheduler.frameTimeFactor;
+  }
+
   createColdObservable<T>(marbles: string, values?: any, error?: any): Observable<T> {
     if (marbles.indexOf('^') !== -1) {
       throw new Error('Cold observable cannot have subscription offset "^"');