diff --git a/tests/assertions.js b/tests/assertions.js
index c8bbe3f..d8d01fa 100644
--- a/tests/assertions.js
+++ b/tests/assertions.js
@@ -100,6 +100,24 @@ export const shouldNotUseCborTags = ({proof}) => {
   should.exist(result, 'Expected proof to be decoded.');
 };
 
+export const baseProofShouldHaveElementCount = ({
+  proof,
+  expectedLengths = [5, 6],
+  reason = 'Expected baseProof to have expected number of components'
+}) => {
+  let error;
+  let result;
+  try {
+    // try to parse the base proof with no cbor tags
+    result = parseBaseProofValue({proof});
+  } catch(e) {
+    error = e;
+  }
+  should.not.exist(error, 'Expected proof to decode.');
+  should.exist(result, 'Expected proof to be decoded.');
+  Object.keys(result).length.should.be.oneOf(expectedLengths, reason);
+};
+
 export const shouldHaveMandatoryPointers = ({proof}) => {
   const {mandatoryPointers} = parseBaseProofValue({proof});
   should.exist(mandatoryPointers, 'Expected "mandatoryPointers" to exist.');
diff --git a/tests/suites/create.js b/tests/suites/create.js
index efc7f32..c5de976 100644
--- a/tests/suites/create.js
+++ b/tests/suites/create.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  */
 import {
+  baseProofShouldHaveElementCount,
   checkEncoding,
   checkHmacKeyLength,
   shouldBeMultibaseEncoded,
@@ -267,6 +268,17 @@ export function createSuite({
             shouldHaveMandatoryPointers({proof});
           }
         });
+        it('Initialize components to an array that is the result of ' +
+        'CBOR-decoding the bytes that follow the three-byte BBS disclosure ' +
+        'proof header. If the result is not an array of five or six elements ' +
+        '— a byte array, a map of integers to integers, two arrays of ' +
+        'integers, and one or two byte arrays; an error MUST be raised and ' +
+        'SHOULD convey an error type of PROOF_VERIFICATION_ERROR.', function() {
+          this.test.link = 'https://w3c.github.io/vc-di-bbs/#:~:text=%22pseudonym_hidden_pid%22.-,Initialize%20components%20to%20an%20array%20that%20is%20the%20result%20of%20CBOR,be%20raised%20and%20SHOULD%20convey%20an%20error%20type%20of%20PROOF_VERIFICATION_ERROR.,-Replace%20the%20second';
+          for(const proof of bbsProofs) {
+            baseProofShouldHaveElementCount({proof});
+          }
+        });
       });
     }
   });