diff --git a/test/test.html b/test/test.html
index 0a0241ca..2d0ad4a9 100644
--- a/test/test.html
+++ b/test/test.html
@@ -43,6 +43,17 @@
 
   this.eq = (x, y, msg) -> ok x is y, msg ? x + ' !== ' + y
 
+  this.deepEqual = (a, b, msg) -> ok deepEq(a,b), msg
+
+  deepEq = (a, b) ->
+    if a instanceof Array and b instanceof Array
+      success = yes
+      success and= deepEq(a[prop],b[prop]) for prop in a
+      success and= deepEq(a[prop],b[prop]) for prop in b when prop not in a
+      success
+    else
+      `a == b`
+
   this.throws = (fun, err, msg) ->
     try fun(); throw new String 'No Error'
     catch e then eq e, err
@@ -71,6 +82,7 @@
     'break'
     'comments'
     'exception_handling'
+    'helpers'
     'operators'
     'regular_expressions'
     'test_chaining'
@@ -79,7 +91,6 @@
     'test_comprehensions'
     'test_existence'
     'test_functions'
-    'test_helpers'
     'test_heredocs'
     'test_if'
     'test_literals'
@@ -94,4 +105,4 @@
   </script>
 
 </body>
-</html>
\ No newline at end of file
+</html>
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.coffee b/test/test_helpers.coffee
index 490c7a80..317eb1cd 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.coffee
+++ b/test/test_helpers.coffee
@@ -1,39 +1,96 @@
+# Helpers
+# -------
+
+# pull the helpers from `CoffeeScript.helpers` into local variables
 {starts, ends, compact, count, merge, extend, flatten, del, last} = CoffeeScript.helpers
 
-array  = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
-string = array.join ''
-object = {}
 
-# Test `starts`
-ok starts string, '012'
-ok starts string, '34', 3
-ok not starts string, '42'
-ok not starts string, '42', 6
+#### `starts`
 
-# Test `ends`
-ok ends string, '234'
-ok ends string, '01', 3
-ok not ends string, '42'
-ok not ends string, '42', 6
+test "the `starts` helper tests if a string starts with another string", ->
+  ok     starts('01234', '012')
+  ok not starts('01234', '123')
 
-# Test `merge`
-merged = merge object, array
-ok merged isnt object
-eq merged[3], 3
+test "the `starts` helper can take an optional offset", ->
+  ok     starts('01234', '34', 3)
+  ok not starts('01234', '01', 1)
 
-# Test `extend`
-ok object is extend object, array
-eq object[3], 3
 
-# Test `flatten`
-ay = yes
-(ay and= typeof n is 'number') for n in flatten [0, [[1], 2], 3, [4]]
-ok ay
+#### `ends`
 
-# Test `del`
-eq 1, del object, 1
-ok 1 not of object
+test "the `ends` helper tests if a string ends with another string", ->
+  ok     ends('01234', '234')
+  ok not ends('01234', '012')
 
-# Test `last`
-eq 4, last array
-eq 2, last array, 2
+test "the `ends` helper can take an optional offset", ->
+  ok     ends('01234', '012', 2)
+  ok not ends('01234', '234', 6)
+
+
+#### `compact`
+
+test "the `compact` helper removes falsey values from an array, preserves truthy ones", ->
+  allValues = [1, 0, false, obj={}, [], '', ' ', -1, null, undefined, true]
+  truthyValues = [1, obj, [], ' ', -1, true]
+  deepEqual truthyValues, compact(allValues)
+
+
+#### `count`
+
+test "the `count` helper counts the number of occurances of a string in another string", ->
+  eq 1/0, count('abc', '')
+  eq 0, count('abc', 'z')
+  eq 1, count('abc', 'a')
+  eq 1, count('abc', 'b')
+  eq 2, count('abcdc', 'c')
+  eq 2, count('abcdabcd','abc')
+
+
+#### `merge`
+
+test "the `merge` helper makes a new object with all properties of the objects given as its arguments", ->
+  ary = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
+  obj = {}
+  merged = merge obj, ary
+  ok merged isnt obj
+  ok merged isnt ary
+  for own key, val of ary
+    eq val, merged[key]
+
+
+#### `extend`
+
+test "the `extend` helper performs a shallow copy", ->
+  ary = [0, 1, 2, 3]
+  obj = {}
+  # should return the object being extended
+  eq obj, extend(obj, ary)
+  # should copy the other object's properties as well (obviously)
+  eq 2, obj[2]
+
+
+#### `flatten`
+
+test "the `flatten` helper flattens an array", ->
+  success = yes
+  (success and= typeof n is 'number') for n in flatten [0, [[[1]], 2], 3, [4]]
+  ok success
+
+
+#### `del`
+
+test "the `del` helper deletes a property from an object and returns the deleted value", ->
+  obj = [0, 1, 2]
+  eq 1, del(obj, 1)
+  ok 1 not of obj
+
+
+#### `last`
+
+test "the `last` helper returns the last item of an array-like object", ->
+  ary = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
+  eq 4, last(ary)
+
+test "the `last` helper allows one to specify an optional offset", ->
+  ary = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
+  eq 2, last(ary, 2)