diff --git a/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/altair/epoch_processing/test_process_sync_committee_updates.py b/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/altair/epoch_processing/test_process_sync_committee_updates.py
index 7ba2645a2..8ffc51507 100644
--- a/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/altair/epoch_processing/test_process_sync_committee_updates.py
+++ b/tests/core/pyspec/eth2spec/test/altair/epoch_processing/test_process_sync_committee_updates.py
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 from eth2spec.test.context import (
+    always_bls,
     spec_state_test,
+    spec_test,
     with_all_phases_except,
     with_configs,
+    with_custom_state,
+    single_phase,
+    misc_balances,
 )
 from eth2spec.test.helpers.constants import (
     PHASE0,
@@ -13,20 +18,21 @@ from eth2spec.test.helpers.epoch_processing import (
 )
 
 
-@with_all_phases_except([PHASE0])
-@spec_state_test
-@with_configs([MINIMAL], reason="too slow")
-def test_sync_committees_progress(spec, state):
-    current_epoch = spec.get_current_epoch(state)
-    # NOTE: if not in the genesis epoch, period math below needs to be
-    # adjusted relative to the current epoch
-    assert current_epoch == 0
+#
+# Note:
+# Calculating sync committees requires pubkey aggregation, thus all tests are generated with `always_bls`
+#
 
+def run_sync_committees_progress_test(spec, state):
     first_sync_committee = state.current_sync_committee
     second_sync_committee = state.next_sync_committee
 
-    slot_at_end_of_current_period = spec.EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD * spec.SLOTS_PER_EPOCH - 1
-    transition_to(spec, state, slot_at_end_of_current_period)
+    current_period = spec.get_current_epoch(state) // spec.EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD
+    next_period = current_period + 1
+    next_period_start_epoch = next_period * spec.EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD
+    next_period_start_slot = next_period_start_epoch * spec.SLOTS_PER_EPOCH
+    end_slot_of_current_period = next_period_start_slot - 1
+    transition_to(spec, state, end_slot_of_current_period)
 
     # Ensure assignments have not changed:
     assert state.current_sync_committee == first_sync_committee
@@ -36,7 +42,42 @@ def test_sync_committees_progress(spec, state):
 
     # Can compute the third committee having computed final balances in the last epoch
     # of this `EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD`
-    third_sync_committee = spec.get_sync_committee(state, 2 * spec.EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD)
+    current_epoch = spec.get_current_epoch(state)
+    third_sync_committee = spec.get_sync_committee(state, current_epoch + 2 * spec.EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD)
 
     assert state.current_sync_committee == second_sync_committee
     assert state.next_sync_committee == third_sync_committee
+
+
+@with_all_phases_except([PHASE0])
+@spec_state_test
+@always_bls
+@with_configs([MINIMAL], reason="too slow")
+def test_sync_committees_progress_genesis(spec, state):
+    # Genesis epoch period has an exceptional case
+    assert spec.get_current_epoch(state) == spec.GENESIS_EPOCH
+
+    yield from run_sync_committees_progress_test(spec, state)
+
+
+@with_all_phases_except([PHASE0])
+@spec_state_test
+@always_bls
+@with_configs([MINIMAL], reason="too slow")
+def test_sync_committees_progress_not_genesis(spec, state):
+    # Transition out of the genesis epoch period to test non-exceptional case
+    assert spec.get_current_epoch(state) == spec.GENESIS_EPOCH
+    slot_in_next_period = state.slot + spec.EPOCHS_PER_SYNC_COMMITTEE_PERIOD * spec.SLOTS_PER_EPOCH
+    transition_to(spec, state, slot_in_next_period)
+
+    yield from run_sync_committees_progress_test(spec, state)
+
+
+@with_all_phases_except([PHASE0])
+@with_custom_state(balances_fn=misc_balances, threshold_fn=lambda spec: spec.EJECTION_BALANCE)
+@spec_test
+@single_phase
+@always_bls
+@with_configs([MINIMAL], reason="too slow")
+def test_sync_committees_progress_misc_balances(spec, state):
+    yield from run_sync_committees_progress_test(spec, state)