diff --git a/.github/workflows/matrix-and-codecov-on-merge-to-main.yml b/.github/workflows/matrix-and-codecov-on-merge-to-main.yml
index 7cb69d5..4724e62 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/matrix-and-codecov-on-merge-to-main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/matrix-and-codecov-on-merge-to-main.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ jobs:
           conda list | grep -i ipympl
         fi
 
-        echo "Running tests for diffpy.cmi dependencies"
-        cmi install _tests
+        echo "Installing the pdf pack"
+        cmi install pdf
     secrets:
       CODECOV_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-on-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/tests-on-pr.yml
index 4ac6831..8ced0cf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests-on-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-on-pr.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
           conda list | grep -i ipympl
         fi
 
-        echo "Running tests for diffpy.cmi dependencies"
-        cmi install _tests
+        echo "Installing the pdf pack"
+        cmi install pdf
     secrets:
       CODECOV_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/docs/source/available-profiles.rst b/docs/source/available-profiles.rst
index 081c0a4..4759959 100644
--- a/docs/source/available-profiles.rst
+++ b/docs/source/available-profiles.rst
@@ -14,13 +14,3 @@ This pack was created by members of the Billinge Group and the DiffPy community.
 packs: ``core``, ``pdf``, ``plotting``
 
 extras: ``ipykernel``
-
-======
-_tests
-======
-
-Testing and development tools for ``diffpy.cmi``.
-
-packs: ``core``, ``pdf``, ``tests``
-
-extras: ``_pytest.sh tar_url.txt``, ``_pytest.bat tar_url.txt``
diff --git a/news/replace-tests-profile.rst b/news/replace-tests-profile.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dbe8ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/replace-tests-profile.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+**Added:**
+
+* Add a unit test that checks a profile's extras scripts run with their arguments when the profile is installed.
+
+**Changed:**
+
+* Install the ``pdf`` pack in CI instead of the ``_tests`` profile.
+
+**Deprecated:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Removed:**
+
+* Remove the ``_tests`` profile and its ``_pytest.sh``, ``_pytest.bat`` and ``tar_url.txt`` scripts, which ran the test suites of pinned releases of ``diffpy.cmi``'s dependencies.
+
+**Fixed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Security:**
+
+* <news item>
diff --git a/requirements/packs/scripts/_pytest.bat b/requirements/packs/scripts/_pytest.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index b3de7f1..0000000
--- a/requirements/packs/scripts/_pytest.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,119 +0,0 @@
-@echo off
-setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
-
-REM ---- temp workspace ----
-set "TMPROOT=%TEMP%\remote_tests_%RANDOM%%RANDOM%"
-md "%TMPROOT%" || (echo Failed to create TMPROOT & exit /b 1)
-
-REM ---- resolve args -> URL list file ----
-if "%~2"=="" (
-  if exist "%~1" (
-    set "URLS_FILE=%~f1"
-  ) else (
-    set "URLS_FILE=%TMPROOT%\urls.txt"
-    > "%URLS_FILE%" echo %~1
-  )
-) else (
-  set "URLS_FILE=%TMPROOT%\urls.txt"
-  (for %%U in (%*) do @echo %%~U) > "%URLS_FILE%"
-)
-
-pushd "%TMPROOT%" >nul || (echo Failed to enter TMPROOT & exit /b 1)
-
-set /a i=0
-set /a overall_ec=0
-
-for /f "usebackq delims=" %%L in ("%URLS_FILE%") do call :process_one "%%L"
-
-popd >nul
-
-REM -------- CLEANUP: do not poison exit code --------
-rmdir /s /q "%TMPROOT%" >nul 2>&1
-ver >nul   REM reset errorlevel to 0
-
-REM ---- FINAL EXIT ----
-exit /b %overall_ec%
-
-
-REM ===================================================
-:process_one
-setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
-
-set "url=%~1"
-if "%url%"=="" (endlocal & goto :eof)
-
-:trim
-if not "%url:~0,1%"==" " goto :trim_done
-set "url=%url:~1%"
-goto trim
-:trim_done
-
-if "%url:~0,1%"=="#" (endlocal & goto :eof)
-
-endlocal & set /a i+=1 & set "URL=%url%"
-
-echo(
-echo ==> [%i%] %URL%
-
-set "PKGDIR=%TMPROOT%\pkg_%i%"
-md "%PKGDIR%" >nul 2>&1
-pushd "%PKGDIR%" >nul || goto :after
-
-curl -L --fail -o "archive.tar.gz" "%URL%"
-if errorlevel 1 (
-  echo curl failed
-  set /a overall_ec=1
-  popd >nul & goto :after
-)
-
-tar -xzf "archive.tar.gz" >nul 2>&1
-if errorlevel 1 tar -xf "archive.tar.gz" >nul 2>&1
-if errorlevel 1 (
-  echo tar extract failed
-  set /a overall_ec=1
-  popd >nul & goto :after
-)
-
-set "FIRST="
-for /f "delims=" %%F in ('tar -tzf "archive.tar.gz" 2^>nul') do set "FIRST=%%F" & goto got_first
-for /f "delims=" %%F in ('tar -tf  "archive.tar.gz" 2^>nul') do set "FIRST=%%F" & goto got_first
-:got_first
-
-set "PROJROOT=%CD%"
-if defined FIRST for /f "tokens=1 delims=/" %%T in ("%FIRST%") do if exist ".\%%T\" set "PROJROOT=%CD%\%%T"
-
-if exist "%PROJROOT%\src\" rmdir /s /q "%PROJROOT%\src" >nul 2>&1 & ver >nul
-
-pushd "%PROJROOT%" >nul
-echo Running pytest in "%CD%"
-
-set "OLD_PYTHONPATH=%PYTHONPATH%"
-
-if exist "tests\" (
-  if defined OLD_PYTHONPATH (
-    set "PYTHONPATH=%CD%;tests;%OLD_PYTHONPATH%"
-  ) else (
-    set "PYTHONPATH=%CD%;tests"
-  )
-) else (
-  if defined OLD_PYTHONPATH (
-    set "PYTHONPATH=%CD%;%OLD_PYTHONPATH%"
-  ) else (
-    set "PYTHONPATH=%CD%"
-  )
-)
-
-pytest
-if errorlevel 1 set /a overall_ec=1
-
-set "PYTHONPATH=%OLD_PYTHONPATH%"
-popd >nul
-
-popd >nul
-
-:after
-REM cleanup without poisoning errorlevel
-rmdir /s /q "%PKGDIR%" >nul 2>&1
-ver >nul
-
-goto :eof
diff --git a/requirements/packs/scripts/_pytest.sh b/requirements/packs/scripts/_pytest.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 887797f..0000000
--- a/requirements/packs/scripts/_pytest.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Usage:
-#   ./_pytest.sh urls.txt
-#   ./_pytest.sh https://host/a.tar.gz https://host/b.tgz
-# From ChatGPT
-set -euo pipefail
-
-URLS=()
-if (($# == 1)) && [ -f "$1" ]; then
-  URLS_FILE="$1"
-  case "$URLS_FILE" in /*) ;; *) URLS_FILE="$PWD/$URLS_FILE" ;; esac
-  while IFS= read -r line; do
-    [[ -z "${line// }" || "$line" =~ ^[[:space:]]*# ]] && continue
-    URLS+=("$line")
-  done < "$URLS_FILE"
-else
-  URLS=("$@")
-fi
-
-START_DIR="$PWD"
-TMPROOT="$(TMPDIR="$START_DIR" mktemp -d -t .tmp_remote_tests.XXXXXXXX)"
-trap 'cd "$START_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true; rm -rf -- "$TMPROOT" || true' EXIT
-cd "$TMPROOT"
-
-overall_ec=0
-i=0
-
-for url in "${URLS[@]}"; do
-  ((++i))
-  printf '\n==> [%d] %s\n' "$i" "$url"
-
-  tfile="$(TMPDIR="$TMPROOT" mktemp -t "dl_${i}.XXXXXXXX")"
-  tarball="${tfile}.tar.gz"
-  curl -L --fail -o "$tarball" "$url"
-
-  pkgdir="$TMPROOT/pkg_${i}"
-  mkdir -p "$pkgdir"
-  tar -xzf "$tarball" -C "$pkgdir" 2>/dev/null || tar -xf "$tarball" -C "$pkgdir"
-
-  first_entry="$(tar -tzf "$tarball" 2>/dev/null | head -1 || true)"
-  if [ -z "$first_entry" ]; then
-    first_entry="$(tar -tf "$tarball" 2>/dev/null | head -1 || true)"
-  fi
-
-  top="${first_entry%%/*}"
-  if [ -n "$top" ] && [ -d "$pkgdir/$top" ]; then
-    projroot="$pkgdir/$top"
-  else
-    projroot="$pkgdir"
-  fi
-
-  [ -d "$projroot/src" ] && rm -rf -- "$projroot/src" || true
-
-  if [ -d "$projroot/tests" ]; then
-    ( cd "$projroot" && PYTHONPATH="$PWD:tests:${PYTHONPATH:-}" pytest ) || overall_ec=1
-  else
-    ( cd "$projroot" && PYTHONPATH="$PWD:${PYTHONPATH:-}" pytest ) || overall_ec=1
-  fi
-
-  rm -f -- "$tarball" "$tfile" || true
-  rm -rf -- "$pkgdir" || true
-done
-
-exit "$overall_ec"
diff --git a/requirements/packs/scripts/tar_url.txt b/requirements/packs/scripts/tar_url.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 35d298f..0000000
--- a/requirements/packs/scripts/tar_url.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-https://github.com/diffpy/diffpy.srreal/archive/refs/tags/1.4.0.tar.gz
-https://github.com/diffpy/diffpy.srfit/archive/refs/tags/3.3.0.tar.gz
-https://github.com/diffpy/pyobjcryst/archive/refs/tags/2025.1.0.tar.gz
-https://github.com/diffpy/diffpy.structure/archive/refs/tags/3.4.0.tar.gz
-https://github.com/diffpy/diffpy.utils/archive/refs/tags/3.7.2.tar.gz
diff --git a/requirements/profiles/_tests.yml b/requirements/profiles/_tests.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index b48aaf8..0000000
--- a/requirements/profiles/_tests.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-# script name must coincide with conda installation name
-# script named "_*" can escape install presence check
-
-packs:
-  - core
-  - pdf
-  - tests
-
-extras:
-  - _pytest.sh tar_url.txt
-  - _pytest.bat tar_url.txt
diff --git a/tests/test_profilesmanager.py b/tests/test_profilesmanager.py
index a9656c5..7f400fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_profilesmanager.py
+++ b/tests/test_profilesmanager.py
@@ -45,3 +45,54 @@ def fake_check_profile(identifier):
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     actual = captured.out
     assert actual.strip() == expected.strip()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "script_exit_code, expected_install_exit_code",
+    [
+        # Test that installing a profile runs the scripts listed in its
+        # extras with their arguments and reports whether they succeeded
+        # C1: A user installs a profile whose script runs successfully.
+        # Expected: The script runs with its argument and the
+        # installation returns exit code 0.
+        (0, 0),
+        # C2: A user installs a profile whose script fails.
+        # Expected: The script runs with its argument and the
+        # installation returns exit code 1.
+        (1, 1),
+    ],
+)
+def test_install_with_script_extras(
+    script_exit_code, expected_install_exit_code, tmp_path
+):
+    # Write a profile that lists the same script for Linux/macOS and Windows
+    profiles_dir = tmp_path / "requirements" / "profiles"
+    profiles_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (profiles_dir / "scripts-profile.yml").write_text(
+        "packs: []\n"
+        "\n"
+        "extras:\n"
+        "  - _write_message.sh hello\n"
+        "  - _write_message.bat hello\n"
+    )
+    # Write scripts that save their argument to a file and exit with
+    # script_exit_code
+    scripts_dir = tmp_path / "requirements" / "packs" / "scripts"
+    scripts_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (scripts_dir / "_write_message.sh").write_text(
+        'echo "$1" > script-output.txt\n' f"exit {script_exit_code}\n"
+    )
+    (scripts_dir / "_write_message.bat").write_text(
+        "@echo off\n"
+        "echo %1> script-output.txt\n"
+        f"exit /b {script_exit_code}\n"
+    )
+    # Install the profile
+    pfm = ProfilesManager(root_path=tmp_path)
+    actual_install_exit_code = pfm.install("scripts-profile")
+    actual_script_output = (
+        (scripts_dir / "script-output.txt").read_text().strip()
+    )
+    expected_script_output = "hello"
+    assert actual_install_exit_code == expected_install_exit_code
+    assert actual_script_output == expected_script_output