diff --git a/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/test/devices/test_beam_device.py b/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/test/devices/test_beam_device.py
index 227253b0ae24bea7b99f985dc5a511817509c83a..107f95293f587e632f018be68a5cf07764bc49b7 100644
--- a/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/test/devices/test_beam_device.py
+++ b/tangostationcontrol/tangostationcontrol/test/devices/test_beam_device.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class TestBeamDevice(base.TestCase):
     def test_set_pointing_epochs(self):
         """Verify can set epochs attribute without error"""
 
-        with DeviceTestContext(beam.Beam, process=False) as proxy:
+        with DeviceTestContext(beam.Beam, process=True) as proxy:
             proxy.init()
             proxy.Initialise()
             self.assertEqual(DevState.STANDBY, proxy.state())
@@ -84,14 +84,36 @@ class TestBeamDevice(base.TestCase):
             compare_obj = data == proxy.read_attribute(attribute).value
             self.assertTrue(compare_obj.all())
 
-    def test_pointing_direction(self):
+    def test_direction_pointing(self):
         """Set and Get test with actual values for pointing attribute"""
 
         self.pointing("HBAT_pointing_direction_R", lambda x, y:
                       x.set_direction_pointings(y))
 
-    def test_pointing_epochs(self):
+    def test_direction_epochs(self):
         """Set and Get test with actual values for pointing attribute"""
 
         self.pointing("HBAT_pointing_epoch_R", lambda x, y:
                       x.set_direction_epochs(y))
+
+    def test_pointing_invalid(self):
+        """Test that set pointings command refuses invalid lengths"""
+
+        with DeviceTestContext(beam.Beam, process=True) as proxy:
+            proxy.init()
+            proxy.Initialise()
+            self.assertEqual(DevState.STANDBY, proxy.state())
+
+            # should return error due to invalid length
+            self.assertEqual(-1, proxy.set_direction_pointings(numpy.zeros(55)))
+
+    def test_epoch_invalid(self):
+        """Test that set epochs command refuses invalid lengths"""
+
+        with DeviceTestContext(beam.Beam, process=True) as proxy:
+            proxy.init()
+            proxy.Initialise()
+            self.assertEqual(DevState.STANDBY, proxy.state())
+
+            # should return error due to invalid length
+            self.assertEqual(-1, proxy.set_direction_epochs(numpy.zeros(55)))