The phrase "a stern test of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a challenging situation or evaluation that requires strength, resilience, or determination.
Example: "The marathon was a stern test of her physical and mental endurance."
Alternatives: "a rigorous challenge of" or "a tough examination of".
An opening game against the Kiwis will provide a stern test of their resolve.
The severity of the economic downturn will set a stern test of lenders' credit management.
Instead of seeing a stern test of golf, they were witnesses to the battering of the course by Mother Nature.
(Aug. 8) 3. FANS AT FENWAY ARE FACING A STERN TEST OF FAITH The Red Sox lose their lead.
Shifting people permanently off the land will be a stern test of Chinese policy planning, which is not faultless.
Low-yielding catchments with ephemeral streams provide a stern test of the capability of conceptual catchment models for predicting the hydrologic response of the natural landscape.
Sebonack, in just its seventh year of existence and bookended by two of the most recognizable courses in the nation, Shinnecock Hills and the National Golf Links of America, proved to be a stern test for the rest of the tournament's field.
I know it's going to get even firmer and faster and even more of a stern test for the weekend".
The visit of Manchester United on 28 March 2004 provided a stern test for Arsenal; it was both clubs' first meeting since the fiasco at Old Trafford.
This overtime was a stern test for the Devils.
Suppliers that say they have been asked to hand over information to the OFT include Britvic, Coca-Cola, Mars, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever.The probe will be a stern test not just of whether Britain's biggest consumer markets are clean, but also of a new approach to tackling price-fixing using American-style trustbusting powers.
