diff --git a/rest_framework/tests/test_compound_fields.py b/rest_framework/tests/test_compound_fields.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..606abc779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rest_framework/tests/test_compound_fields.py
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+"""
+General serializer field tests.
+"""
+
+
+from datetime import date
+import unittest
+
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
+
+from rest_framework import ISO_8601
+from rest_framework.compound_fields import DictField
+from rest_framework.compound_fields import ListField
+from rest_framework.fields import CharField
+from rest_framework.fields import DateField
+
+
+class ListFieldTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for the ListField behavior
+    """
+
+    def test_from_native_no_item_field(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField has no item-field, from_native should return the data it was given
+        un-processed.
+        """
+        field = ListField()
+        data = range(5)
+        obj = field.from_native(data)
+        self.assertEqual(data, obj)
+
+    def test_to_native_no_item_field(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField has no item-field, to_native should return the data it was given
+        un-processed.
+        """
+        field = ListField()
+        obj = range(5)
+        data = field.to_native(obj)
+        self.assertEqual(obj, data)
+
+    def test_from_native_with_item_field(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField has an item-field, from_native should return a list of elements resulting
+        from the application of the item-field's from_native method to each element of the input
+        data list.
+        """
+        field = ListField(DateField())
+        data = ["2000-01-01", "2000-01-02"]
+        obj = field.from_native(data)
+        self.assertEqual([date(2000, 1, 1), date(2000, 1, 2)], obj)
+
+    def test_to_native_with_item_field(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField has an item-field, to_native should return a list of elements resulting
+        from the application of the item-field's to_native method to each element of the input
+        object list.
+        """
+        field = ListField(DateField(format=ISO_8601))
+        obj = [date(2000, 1, 1), date(2000, 1, 2)]
+        data = field.to_native(obj)
+        self.assertEqual(["2000-01-01", "2000-01-02"], data)
+
+    def test_missing_required_list(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField requires a value, then validate will raise a ValidationError on a missing
+        (None) value.
+        """
+        field = ListField()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate(None)
+
+    def test_validate_non_list(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField is given a non-list value, then validate will raise a ValidationError.
+        """
+        field = ListField()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate('notAList')
+
+    def test_validate_empty_list(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField requires a value, then validate will raise a ValidationError on an empty
+        value.
+        """
+        field = ListField()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate([])
+
+    def test_validate_elements_valid(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField is given a list whose elements are valid for the item-field, then validate
+        will not raise a ValidationError.
+        """
+        field = ListField(CharField(max_length=5))
+        try:
+            field.validate(["a", "b", "c"])
+        except ValidationError:
+            self.fail("ValidationError was raised")
+
+    def test_validate_elements_invalid(self):
+        """
+        When a ListField is given a list containing elements that are invalid for the item-field,
+        then validate will raise a ValidationError.
+        """
+        field = ListField(CharField(max_length=5))
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate(["012345", "012345"])
+
+
+class DictFieldTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for the DictField behavior
+    """
+
+    def test_from_native_no_value_field(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField has no value-field, from_native should return the data it was given
+        un-processed.
+        """
+        field = DictField()
+        data = {"a": 1, "b": 2}
+        obj = field.from_native(data)
+        self.assertEqual(data, obj)
+
+    def test_to_native_no_value_field(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField has no value-field, to_native should return the data it was given
+        un-processed.
+        """
+        field = DictField()
+        obj = {"a": 1, "b": 2}
+        data = field.to_native(obj)
+        self.assertEqual(obj, data)
+
+    def test_from_native_with_value_field(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField has an value-field, from_native should return a dict of elements resulting
+        from the application of the value-field's from_native method to each value of the input
+        data dict.
+        """
+        field = DictField(DateField())
+        data = {"a": "2000-01-01", "b": "2000-01-02"}
+        obj = field.from_native(data)
+        self.assertEqual({"a": date(2000, 1, 1), "b": date(2000, 1, 2)}, obj)
+
+    def test_to_native_with_value_field(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField has an value-field, to_native should return a dict of elements resulting
+        from the application of the value-field's to_native method to each value of the input
+        object dict.
+        """
+        field = DictField(DateField(format=ISO_8601))
+        obj = {"a": date(2000, 1, 1), "b": date(2000, 1, 2)}
+        data = field.to_native(obj)
+        self.assertEqual({"a": "2000-01-01", "b": "2000-01-02"}, data)
+
+    def test_missing_required_dict(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField requires a value, then validate will raise a ValidationError on a missing
+        (None) value.
+        """
+        field = DictField()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate(None)
+
+    def test_validate_non_dict(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField is given a non-dict value, then validate will raise a ValidationError.
+        """
+        field = DictField()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate('notADict')
+
+    def test_validate_empty_dict(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField requires a value, then validate will raise a ValidationError on an empty
+        value.
+        """
+        field = DictField()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate({})
+
+    def test_validate_elements_valid(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField is given a dict whose values are valid for the value-field, then validate
+        will not raise a ValidationError.
+        """
+        field = DictField(CharField(max_length=5))
+        try:
+            field.validate({"a": "a", "b": "b", "c": "c"})
+        except ValidationError:
+            self.fail("ValidationError was raised")
+
+    def test_validate_elements_invalid(self):
+        """
+        When a DictField is given a dict containing values that are invalid for the value-field,
+        then validate will raise a ValidationError.
+        """
+        field = DictField(CharField(max_length=5))
+        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
+            field.validate({"a": "012345", "b": "012345"})