diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_basic.R b/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_basic.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..de47162d5325f105439556dd7c60abd351bb1ef7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_basic.R
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+# contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+# this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+# The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+# (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
+# the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+context("basic tests for CRAN")
+
+test_that("create DataFrame from list or data.frame", {
+  sparkR.session(master = sparkRTestMaster, enableHiveSupport = FALSE)
+
+  i <- 4
+  df <- createDataFrame(data.frame(dummy = 1:i))
+  expect_equal(count(df), i)
+
+  l <- list(list(a = 1, b = 2), list(a = 3, b = 4))
+  df <- createDataFrame(l)
+  expect_equal(columns(df), c("a", "b"))
+
+  a <- 1:3
+  b <- c("a", "b", "c")
+  ldf <- data.frame(a, b)
+  df <- createDataFrame(ldf)
+  expect_equal(columns(df), c("a", "b"))
+  expect_equal(dtypes(df), list(c("a", "int"), c("b", "string")))
+  expect_equal(count(df), 3)
+  ldf2 <- collect(df)
+  expect_equal(ldf$a, ldf2$a)
+
+  mtcarsdf <- createDataFrame(mtcars)
+  expect_equivalent(collect(mtcarsdf), mtcars)
+
+  bytes <- as.raw(c(1, 2, 3))
+  df <- createDataFrame(list(list(bytes)))
+  expect_equal(collect(df)[[1]][[1]], bytes)
+
+  sparkR.session.stop()
+})
+
+test_that("spark.glm and predict", {
+  sparkR.session(master = sparkRTestMaster, enableHiveSupport = FALSE)
+
+  training <- suppressWarnings(createDataFrame(iris))
+  # gaussian family
+  model <- spark.glm(training, Sepal_Width ~ Sepal_Length + Species)
+  prediction <- predict(model, training)
+  expect_equal(typeof(take(select(prediction, "prediction"), 1)$prediction), "double")
+  vals <- collect(select(prediction, "prediction"))
+  rVals <- predict(glm(Sepal.Width ~ Sepal.Length + Species, data = iris), iris)
+  expect_true(all(abs(rVals - vals) < 1e-6), rVals - vals)
+
+  # Gamma family
+  x <- runif(100, -1, 1)
+  y <- rgamma(100, rate = 10 / exp(0.5 + 1.2 * x), shape = 10)
+  df <- as.DataFrame(as.data.frame(list(x = x, y = y)))
+  model <- glm(y ~ x, family = Gamma, df)
+  out <- capture.output(print(summary(model)))
+  expect_true(any(grepl("Dispersion parameter for gamma family", out)))
+
+  # tweedie family
+  model <- spark.glm(training, Sepal_Width ~ Sepal_Length + Species,
+                     family = "tweedie", var.power = 1.2, link.power = 0.0)
+  prediction <- predict(model, training)
+  expect_equal(typeof(take(select(prediction, "prediction"), 1)$prediction), "double")
+  vals <- collect(select(prediction, "prediction"))
+
+  # manual calculation of the R predicted values to avoid dependence on statmod
+  #' library(statmod)
+  #' rModel <- glm(Sepal.Width ~ Sepal.Length + Species, data = iris,
+  #'             family = tweedie(var.power = 1.2, link.power = 0.0))
+  #' print(coef(rModel))
+
+  rCoef <- c(0.6455409, 0.1169143, -0.3224752, -0.3282174)
+  rVals <- exp(as.numeric(model.matrix(Sepal.Width ~ Sepal.Length + Species,
+                                       data = iris) %*% rCoef))
+  expect_true(all(abs(rVals - vals) < 1e-5), rVals - vals)
+
+  sparkR.session.stop()
+})
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/jarTest.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/jarTest.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/jarTest.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/jarTest.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/packageInAJarTest.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/packageInAJarTest.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/packageInAJarTest.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/packageInAJarTest.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_Serde.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_Serde.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_Serde.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_Serde.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_Windows.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_Windows.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_Windows.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_Windows.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_binaryFile.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_binaryFile.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_binaryFile.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_binaryFile.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_binary_function.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_binary_function.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_binary_function.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_binary_function.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_broadcast.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_broadcast.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_broadcast.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_broadcast.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_client.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_client.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_client.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_client.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_context.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_context.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_context.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_context.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_includePackage.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_includePackage.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_includePackage.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_includePackage.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_jvm_api.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_jvm_api.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_jvm_api.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_jvm_api.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_classification.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_classification.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_classification.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_classification.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_clustering.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_clustering.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_clustering.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_clustering.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_fpm.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_fpm.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_fpm.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_fpm.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_recommendation.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_recommendation.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_recommendation.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_recommendation.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_regression.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_regression.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_regression.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_regression.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_stat.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_stat.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_stat.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_stat.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_tree.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_tree.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_mllib_tree.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_mllib_tree.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_parallelize_collect.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_parallelize_collect.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_parallelize_collect.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_parallelize_collect.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_rdd.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_rdd.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_rdd.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_rdd.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_shuffle.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_shuffle.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_shuffle.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_shuffle.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_sparkR.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_sparkR.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_sparkR.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_sparkR.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_sparkSQL.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_sparkSQL.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_sparkSQL.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_sparkSQL.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_streaming.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_streaming.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_streaming.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_streaming.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_take.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_take.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_take.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_take.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_textFile.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_textFile.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_textFile.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_textFile.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_utils.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_utils.R
similarity index 100%
rename from R/pkg/inst/tests/testthat/test_utils.R
rename to R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_utils.R
diff --git a/R/pkg/tests/run-all.R b/R/pkg/tests/run-all.R
index f0bef4f6d2662828e6b50714a0c03fbe6087ac35..d48e36c880c132c78de094745869625c7f967292 100644
--- a/R/pkg/tests/run-all.R
+++ b/R/pkg/tests/run-all.R
@@ -43,3 +43,11 @@ if (identical(Sys.getenv("NOT_CRAN"), "true")) {
 }
 
 test_package("SparkR")
+
+if (identical(Sys.getenv("NOT_CRAN"), "true")) {
+  # for testthat 1.0.2 later, change reporter from "summary" to default_reporter()
+  testthat:::run_tests("SparkR",
+                       file.path(sparkRDir, "pkg", "tests", "fulltests"),
+                       NULL,
+                       "summary")
+}