diff --git a/pkg/policy/load_test.go b/pkg/policy/load_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..380475e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/policy/load_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+package policy
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno-json/pkg/apis/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+)
+
+func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	basePath := "../../test/policy"
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		path    string
+		want    []*v1alpha1.ValidatingPolicy
+		wantErr bool
+	}{{
+		name:    "confimap",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "configmap.yaml"),
+		wantErr: true,
+	}, {
+		name:    "not found",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "not-found.yaml"),
+		wantErr: true,
+	}, {
+		name:    "empty",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "empty.yaml"),
+		wantErr: false,
+	}, {
+		name:    "no spec",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "no-spec.yaml"),
+		wantErr: true,
+	}, {
+		name:    "no rules",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "no-rules.yaml"),
+		wantErr: true,
+	}, {
+		name:    "invalid rule",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "bad-rule.yaml"),
+		wantErr: true,
+	}, {
+		name:    "rule name missing",
+		path:    filepath.Join(basePath, "rule-name-missing.yaml"),
+		wantErr: true,
+	}, {
+		name: "ok",
+		path: filepath.Join(basePath, "ok.yaml"),
+		want: []*v1alpha1.ValidatingPolicy{{
+			TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+				APIVersion: "json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1",
+				Kind:       "ValidatingPolicy",
+			},
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "test",
+			},
+			Spec: v1alpha1.ValidatingPolicySpec{
+				Rules: []v1alpha1.ValidatingRule{{
+					Name: "pod-no-latest",
+					Match: &v1alpha1.Match{
+						Any: []v1alpha1.Any{{
+							Value: map[string]interface{}{
+								"apiVersion": "v1",
+								"kind":       "Pod",
+							},
+						}},
+					},
+					Assert: &v1alpha1.Assert{
+						All: []v1alpha1.Assertion{{
+							Check: v1alpha1.Any{
+								Value: map[string]interface{}{
+									"spec": map[string]interface{}{
+										"~foo.containers->foos": map[string]interface{}{
+											"(at($foos, $foo).image)->foo": map[string]interface{}{
+												"(contains($foo, ':'))":        true,
+												"(ends_with($foo, ':latest'))": false,
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						}},
+					},
+				}},
+			},
+		}},
+	}, {
+		name: "multiple",
+		path: filepath.Join(basePath, "multiple.yaml"),
+		want: []*v1alpha1.ValidatingPolicy{{
+			TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+				APIVersion: "json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1",
+				Kind:       "ValidatingPolicy",
+			},
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "test-1",
+			},
+			Spec: v1alpha1.ValidatingPolicySpec{
+				Rules: []v1alpha1.ValidatingRule{},
+			},
+		}, {
+			TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+				APIVersion: "json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1",
+				Kind:       "ValidatingPolicy",
+			},
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "test-2",
+			},
+			Spec: v1alpha1.ValidatingPolicySpec{
+				Rules: []v1alpha1.ValidatingRule{},
+			},
+		}},
+	}}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := Load(tt.path)
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/policy/bad-rule.yaml b/test/policy/bad-rule.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e01e2aaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/bad-rule.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test
+spec:
+  rules:
+    - name: pod-no-latest
+      # matches instead of match
+      matches:
+        any:
+        - apiVersion: v1
+          kind: Pod
+      assert:
+        all:
+        - check:
+            spec:
+              ~foo.containers->foos:
+                (at($foos, $foo).image)->foo:
+                  # an image tag is required
+                  (contains($foo, ':')): true
+                  # using a mutable image tag e.g. 'latest' is not allowed
+                  (ends_with($foo, ':latest')): false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/policy/configmap.yaml b/test/policy/configmap.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1d88436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/configmap.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: ConfigMap
+metadata:
+  name: default
+data:
+  foo: bar
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/policy/empty.yaml b/test/policy/empty.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/test/policy/multiple.yaml b/test/policy/multiple.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..29b5dab1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/multiple.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test-1
+spec:
+  rules: []
+---
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test-2
+spec:
+  rules: []
diff --git a/test/policy/no-rules.yaml b/test/policy/no-rules.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..173604b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/no-rules.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test
+spec: {}
diff --git a/test/policy/no-spec.yaml b/test/policy/no-spec.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..411dabe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/no-spec.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test
diff --git a/test/policy/ok.yaml b/test/policy/ok.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ee779a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/ok.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test
+spec:
+  rules:
+    - name: pod-no-latest
+      match:
+        any:
+        - apiVersion: v1
+          kind: Pod
+      assert:
+        all:
+        - check:
+            spec:
+              ~foo.containers->foos:
+                (at($foos, $foo).image)->foo:
+                  # an image tag is required
+                  (contains($foo, ':')): true
+                  # using a mutable image tag e.g. 'latest' is not allowed
+                  (ends_with($foo, ':latest')): false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/policy/rule-name-missing.yaml b/test/policy/rule-name-missing.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..164e7afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/policy/rule-name-missing.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+apiVersion: json.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: ValidatingPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: test
+spec:
+  rules:
+    - match:
+        any:
+        - apiVersion: v1
+          kind: Pod
+      assert:
+        all:
+        - check:
+            spec:
+              ~foo.containers->foos:
+                (at($foos, $foo).image)->foo:
+                  # an image tag is required
+                  (contains($foo, ':')): true
+                  # using a mutable image tag e.g. 'latest' is not allowed
+                  (ends_with($foo, ':latest')): false
\ No newline at end of file