diff --git a/tests/unit/rl_utils_test.py b/tests/unit/rl_utils_test.py
index 452e5f474a..2fd04f93f6 100644
--- a/tests/unit/rl_utils_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/rl_utils_test.py
@@ -190,6 +190,129 @@ def test_score_multiple_completions(self):
     self.assertEqual(scores[1], -2.0)
 
 
+class TestCheckNumbers(unittest.TestCase):
+  """Tests for utils_rl.check_numbers.
+
+  Covers two scenarios:
+    1. Whether the regex can extract an answer from the completion.
+    2. Whether the extracted value matches (or does not match) the reference answer.
+  """
+
+  def setUp(self):
+    self.config = _make_config()
+
+  def _check(self, completions, answer):
+    return utils_rl.check_numbers(
+        prompts=None,
+        completions=completions,
+        answer=answer,
+        tmvp_config=self.config,
+        question=["test question"] * len(completions),
+    )
+
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------
+  # Scenario 1: regex extraction succeeds / fails
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extraction_succeeds_full_format(self):
+    """Full <reasoning>…</reasoning><answer>…</answer> format allows extraction."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>40 + 2 = 42</reasoning><answer>42</answer>"],
+        answer=["42"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 1.5)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extraction_fails_no_tags(self):
+    """Plain-text completion without any tags yields score 0 (cannot extract)."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["The answer is 42."],
+        answer=["42"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 0)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extraction_fails_answer_tags_only(self):
+    """<answer> tag alone (no <reasoning> block) is not matched by the regex, score 0."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<answer>42</answer>"],
+        answer=["42"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 0)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extraction_fails_reasoning_tags_only(self):
+    """<reasoning> block with no <answer> tag cannot be extracted, score 0."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>The answer is 42.</reasoning>"],
+        answer=["42"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 0)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extraction_batch_mixed(self):
+    """Batch with one extractable and one non-extractable completion."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=[
+            "<reasoning>thinking</reasoning><answer>7</answer>",  # extractable
+            "just 7",  # not extractable
+        ],
+        answer=["7", "7"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 1.5)
+    self.assertEqual(scores[1], 0)
+
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------
+  # Scenario 2: extraction succeeds, value matches/mismatches the answer
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extracted_matches_integer_answer(self):
+    """Extracted integer equal to reference answer earns 1.5."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>simple</reasoning><answer>100</answer>"],
+        answer=["100"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 1.5)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extracted_does_not_match_answer(self):
+    """Extracted number that differs from the reference answer earns 0.0."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>wrong path</reasoning><answer>99</answer>"],
+        answer=["42"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 0.0)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extracted_matches_comma_formatted_number(self):
+    """Comma-formatted guess (e.g. '1,000') normalizes to match integer answer '1000'."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>cost calculation</reasoning><answer>1,000</answer>"],
+        answer=["1000"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 1.5)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extracted_matches_with_currency_prefix(self):
+    """Leading '$' in extracted answer is normalized away before comparison."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>price is $16</reasoning><answer>$16</answer>"],
+        answer=["16"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 1.5)
+
+  @pytest.mark.cpu_only
+  def test_extracted_non_numeric_no_match(self):
+    """Non-numeric extraction that cannot be float-converted and does not math-verify returns 0."""
+    scores = self._check(
+        completions=["<reasoning>thinking</reasoning><answer>blue</answer>"],
+        answer=["red"],
+    )
+    self.assertEqual(scores[0], 0.0)
+
+
 class TestExtractHashAnswer(unittest.TestCase):
   """Tests for utils_rl.extract_hash_answer."""