diff --git a/tests/cli/test_train_model.py b/tests/cli/test_train_model.py
index 510a71e51..37c756016 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_train_model.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_train_model.py
@@ -37,6 +37,14 @@ def test_train_explicit_validation_test(monkeypatch, tmp_path, output):
         RESOURCES_PATH / "options_explicit_valid_test.yaml",
         "options_explicit_valid_test.yaml",
     )
+    shutil.copy(
+        RESOURCES_PATH / "options_explicit_valid.yaml",
+        "options_explicit_valid.yaml",
+    )
+    shutil.copy(
+        RESOURCES_PATH / "options_explicit_test.yaml",
+        "options_explicit_test.yaml",
+    )
 
     structures = ase.io.read("qm9_reduced_100.xyz", ":")
     ase.io.write("train.xyz", structures[:50])
@@ -44,6 +52,8 @@ def test_train_explicit_validation_test(monkeypatch, tmp_path, output):
     ase.io.write("test.xyz", structures[80:])
 
     command = ["metatensor-models", "train", "options_explicit_valid_test.yaml"]
+    command = ["metatensor-models", "train", "options_explicit_valid.yaml"]
+    command = ["metatensor-models", "train", "options_explicit_test.yaml"]
 
     if output is not None:
         command += ["-o", output]
diff --git a/tests/resources/options_explicit_test.yaml b/tests/resources/options_explicit_test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3cac89c1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/resources/options_explicit_test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+defaults:
+  - architecture: soap_bpnn  # architecture used to train the model
+  - _self_
+
+architecture:
+  training:
+      batch_size: 2
+      num_epochs: 1
+
+# Section defining the parameters for structure and target data
+training_set:
+  structures:
+    read_from: "train.xyz"
+  targets:
+    energy:
+      key: "U0"
+
+validation_set: 0.1
+
+test_set:
+  structures:
+    read_from: "test.xyz"
+  targets:
+    energy:
+      key: "U0"
diff --git a/tests/resources/options_explicit_valid.yaml b/tests/resources/options_explicit_valid.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e13e5283a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/resources/options_explicit_valid.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+defaults:
+  - architecture: soap_bpnn  # architecture used to train the model
+  - _self_
+
+architecture:
+  training:
+      batch_size: 2
+      num_epochs: 1
+
+# Section defining the parameters for structure and target data
+training_set:
+  structures:
+    read_from: "train.xyz"
+  targets:
+    energy:
+      key: "U0"
+
+validation_set:
+  structures:
+    read_from: "valid.xyz"
+  targets:
+    energy:
+      key: "U0"
+
+test_set: 0.1