diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9e5a546fa..f0befc8c7 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -451,9 +451,9 @@ def get_execution_state(execution_state_root: Bytes32) -> ExecutionState:
 def get_pow_chain_head() -> PowBlock:
     pass
 
-
+verify_execution_state_transition_ret_value = True
 def verify_execution_state_transition(execution_payload: ExecutionPayload) -> bool:
-    return True
+    return verify_execution_state_transition_ret_value
 
 
 def produce_execution_payload(parent_hash: Hash32, timestamp: uint64) -> ExecutionPayload:
diff --git a/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/helpers/execution_payload.py b/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/helpers/execution_payload.py
index 093b7cf2e..36e63dd33 100644
--- a/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/helpers/execution_payload.py
+++ b/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/helpers/execution_payload.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 def build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state):
     """
     Assuming a pre-state of the same slot, build a valid ExecutionPayload without any transactions.
@@ -24,3 +23,33 @@ def build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state):
     payload.block_hash = spec.Hash32(spec.hash(payload.hash_tree_root() + b"FAKE RLP HASH"))
 
     return payload
+
+def get_execution_payload_header(spec, execution_payload):
+    return spec.ExecutionPayloadHeader(
+        block_hash=execution_payload.block_hash,
+        parent_hash=execution_payload.parent_hash,
+        coinbase=execution_payload.coinbase,
+        state_root=execution_payload.state_root,
+        number=execution_payload.number,
+        gas_limit=execution_payload.gas_limit,
+        gas_used=execution_payload.gas_used,
+        timestamp=execution_payload.timestamp,
+        receipt_root=execution_payload.receipt_root,
+        logs_bloom=execution_payload.logs_bloom,
+        transactions_root=spec.hash_tree_root(execution_payload.transactions)
+    )
+
+def build_state_with_incomplete_transition(spec, state):
+    return build_state_with_execution_payload_header(spec, state, spec.ExecutionPayloadHeader())
+
+def build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state):
+    pre_state_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
+    payload_header = get_execution_payload_header(spec, pre_state_payload)
+
+    return build_state_with_execution_payload_header(spec, state, payload_header)
+
+def build_state_with_execution_payload_header(spec, state, execution_payload_header):
+    pre_state = state.copy()
+    pre_state.latest_execution_payload_header = execution_payload_header
+
+    return pre_state
diff --git a/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/merge/block_processing/test_process_execution_payload.py b/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/merge/block_processing/test_process_execution_payload.py
index 6dbdc5e01..f1cd8ff25 100644
--- a/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/merge/block_processing/test_process_execution_payload.py
+++ b/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/merge/block_processing/test_process_execution_payload.py
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-from eth2spec.test.helpers.execution_payload import build_empty_execution_payload
+from eth2spec.test.helpers.execution_payload import (
+    build_empty_execution_payload,
+    get_execution_payload_header,
+    build_state_with_incomplete_transition,
+    build_state_with_complete_transition,
+)
 from eth2spec.test.context import spec_state_test, expect_assertion_error, with_merge_and_later
 from eth2spec.test.helpers.state import next_slot
 
@@ -13,31 +18,36 @@ def run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=True,
     If ``valid == False``, run expecting ``AssertionError``
     """
 
-    pre_exec_header = state.latest_execution_payload_header.copy()
-
     yield 'pre', state
     yield 'execution', {'execution_valid': execution_valid}
     yield 'execution_payload', execution_payload
 
+
+    spec.verify_execution_state_transition_ret_value = execution_valid
+
     if not valid:
         expect_assertion_error(lambda: spec.process_execution_payload(state, execution_payload))
         yield 'post', None
+        spec.verify_execution_state_transition_ret_value = True
         return
 
     spec.process_execution_payload(state, execution_payload)
 
     yield 'post', state
 
-    assert pre_exec_header != state.latest_execution_payload_header
-    # TODO: any more assertions to make?
+    assert state.latest_execution_payload_header == get_execution_payload_header(spec, execution_payload)
+
+    spec.verify_execution_state_transition_ret_value = True
 
 
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
 def test_success_first_payload(spec, state):
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_incomplete_transition(spec, state)
     next_slot(spec, state)
-    assert not spec.is_transition_completed(state)
 
+    # execution payload
     execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload)
@@ -46,11 +56,12 @@ def test_success_first_payload(spec, state):
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
 def test_success_regular_payload(spec, state):
-    # TODO: setup state
-    assert spec.is_transition_completed(state)
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
 
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload)
 
@@ -58,12 +69,13 @@ def test_success_regular_payload(spec, state):
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
 def test_success_first_payload_with_gap_slot(spec, state):
-    # TODO: transition gap slot
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_incomplete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
 
-    assert not spec.is_transition_completed(state)
-
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload)
 
@@ -71,12 +83,13 @@ def test_success_first_payload_with_gap_slot(spec, state):
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
 def test_success_regular_payload_with_gap_slot(spec, state):
-    # TODO: setup state
-    assert spec.is_transition_completed(state)
-    # TODO: transition gap slot
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
 
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload)
 
@@ -86,8 +99,12 @@ def test_success_regular_payload_with_gap_slot(spec, state):
 def test_bad_execution_first_payload(spec, state):
     # completely valid payload, but execution itself fails (e.g. block exceeds gas limit)
 
-    # TODO: execution payload.
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_incomplete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False, execution_valid=False)
 
@@ -97,35 +114,55 @@ def test_bad_execution_first_payload(spec, state):
 def test_bad_execution_regular_payload(spec, state):
     # completely valid payload, but execution itself fails (e.g. block exceeds gas limit)
 
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False, execution_valid=False)
 
 
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
-def test_bad_parent_hash_first_payload(spec, state):
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+def test_bad_parent_hash_regular_payload(spec, state):
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
+    execution_payload.parent_hash = spec.Hash32()
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False)
 
 
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
-def test_bad_number_first_payload(spec, state):
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+def test_bad_number_regular_payload(spec, state):
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
+    execution_payload.number = execution_payload.number + 1
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False)
 
 
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
-def test_bad_everything_first_payload(spec, state):
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+def test_bad_everything_regular_payload(spec, state):
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
+    execution_payload.parent_hash = spec.Hash32()
+    execution_payload.number = execution_payload.number + 1
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False)
 
@@ -133,8 +170,13 @@ def test_bad_everything_first_payload(spec, state):
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
 def test_bad_timestamp_first_payload(spec, state):
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_incomplete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
+    execution_payload.timestamp = execution_payload.timestamp + 1
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False)
 
@@ -142,7 +184,12 @@ def test_bad_timestamp_first_payload(spec, state):
 @with_merge_and_later
 @spec_state_test
 def test_bad_timestamp_regular_payload(spec, state):
-    # TODO: execution payload
-    execution_payload = spec.ExecutionPayload()
+    # pre-state
+    state = build_state_with_complete_transition(spec, state)
+    next_slot(spec, state)
+
+    # execution payload
+    execution_payload = build_empty_execution_payload(spec, state)
+    execution_payload.timestamp = execution_payload.timestamp + 1
 
     yield from run_execution_payload_processing(spec, state, execution_payload, valid=False)