--- a
+++ b/tests/unit/test_example_data.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+import ehrql
+from ehrql.query_engines.local_file import LocalFileQueryEngine
+from ehrql.query_language import BaseFrame
+from ehrql.tables import core
+
+
+# Example CSV files are given for all core tables
+EXAMPLE_TABLES = [getattr(core, table) for table in core.__all__]
+
+EXAMPLE_DATA_DIR = Path(ehrql.__file__).parent / "example-data"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "ql_table",
+    EXAMPLE_TABLES,
+    ids=lambda t: f"{t.__module__}.{t.__class__.__qualname__}",
+)
+def test_populate_database_using_example_data(ql_table: BaseFrame):
+    # The engine populates the database with the example data and validates the column
+    # specs in the process
+    engine = LocalFileQueryEngine(EXAMPLE_DATA_DIR)
+    engine.populate_database([ql_table._qm_node], allow_missing_columns=False)