diff --git a/tests/testParser.c b/tests/testParser.c
index 0b08d20c9e2d48de1858877cf186eaa9d0ac84c0..d33cfcd4dc8c7b5d4cf90fc8e944ec2bd5f197bb 100644
--- a/tests/testParser.c
+++ b/tests/testParser.c
@@ -50,14 +50,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       parser_get_param_double(&param_file, "Simulation:start_time");
   const int kernel = parser_get_param_int(&param_file, "kernel");
 
+  const int optional = parser_get_opt_param_int(&param_file, "optional", 1);
+
   char ic_file[PARSER_MAX_LINE_SIZE];
   parser_get_param_string(&param_file, "IO:ic_file", ic_file);
 
   /* Print the variables to check their values are correct. */
   printf(
       "no_of_threads: %d, no_of_time_steps: %d, max_h: %f, start_time: %lf, "
-      "ic_file: %s, kernel: %d\n",
-      no_of_threads, no_of_time_steps, max_h, start_time, ic_file, kernel);
+      "ic_file: %s, kernel: %d optional: %d\n",
+      no_of_threads, no_of_time_steps, max_h, start_time, ic_file, kernel,
+      optional);
 
   assert(no_of_threads == 16);
   assert(no_of_time_steps == 10);
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   assert(fabs(start_time - 1.23456789) < 0.00001);
   assert(strcmp(ic_file, "ic_file.ini") == 0); /*strcmp returns 0 if correct.*/
   assert(kernel == 4);
+  assert(optional == 1);
 
   return 0;
 }