diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/jobs/new_job_new/recognize/__test__/directive.js b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/jobs/new_job_new/recognize/__test__/directive.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..0a2d0971ee05c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/jobs/new_job_new/recognize/__test__/directive.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import ngMock from 'ng_mock';
+import expect from '@kbn/expect';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+
+// Import this way to be able to stub/mock functions later on in the tests using sinon.
+import * as indexUtils from 'plugins/ml/util/index_utils';
+
+describe('ML - Recognize job directive', () => {
+  let $scope;
+  let $compile;
+  let $element;
+
+  beforeEach(ngMock.module('kibana'));
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    ngMock.inject(function ($injector) {
+      $compile = $injector.get('$compile');
+      const $rootScope = $injector.get('$rootScope');
+      $scope = $rootScope.$new();
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    $scope.$destroy();
+  });
+
+  it('Initialize Index or Saved Search selection directive', done => {
+    sinon.stub(indexUtils, 'timeBasedIndexCheck').callsFake(() => false);
+    ngMock.inject(function () {
+      expect(() => {
+        $element = $compile('<ml-recognize-page />')($scope);
+      }).to.not.throwError();
+
+      // directive has scope: false
+      const scope = $element.isolateScope();
+      expect(scope).to.eql(undefined);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+});