diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 6613ec3c4e344..470c0dc195f42 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ members = [
   "tools/*",
   # Bevy's error codes. This is a crate so we can automatically check all of the code blocks.
   "errors",
+  # Integration tests that show how a user can test bevy systems/applications.
+  # This is a separate crate to make sure it purely uses the public interface.
+  "integration_tests",
 ]
 
 [workspace.lints.clippy]
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index 2ff4e504e1672..45264ef44f9ad 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ Example | Description
 
 Example | Description
 --- | ---
-[How to Test Apps](../tests/how_to_test_apps.rs) | How to test apps (simple integration testing)
+[How to Test Apps](../integration_tests/src/how_to_test_apps.rs) | How to test apps (simple integration testing)
 [How to Test Systems](../tests/how_to_test_systems.rs) | How to test systems with commands, queries or resources
 
 # Platform-Specific Examples
diff --git a/integration_tests/Cargo.toml b/integration_tests/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..19b00971bccef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+[package]
+name = "integration_tests"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+description = """Contains bevy's integration tests.
+Is separate from the main bevy crate, so it doesn't impact the compilation time of examples.
+And only uses the public bevy interface."""
+publish = false
+license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
+
+[dev-dependencies]
+bevy = { path = ".." }
+postcard = { version = "1.0", features = ["alloc"] }
+bincode = "1.3"
+rmp-serde = "1.1"
+ron = "0.8.0"
+serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/tests/how_to_test_apps.rs b/integration_tests/src/how_to_test_apps.rs
similarity index 99%
rename from tests/how_to_test_apps.rs
rename to integration_tests/src/how_to_test_apps.rs
index 441c81082a80f..d6af71b6eb70d 100644
--- a/tests/how_to_test_apps.rs
+++ b/integration_tests/src/how_to_test_apps.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#![cfg(test)]
 //! Demonstrates simple integration testing of Bevy applications.
 //!
 //! By substituting [`DefaultPlugins`] with [`MinimalPlugins`], Bevy can run completely headless.
diff --git a/tests/how_to_test_systems.rs b/integration_tests/src/how_to_test_systems.rs
similarity index 91%
rename from tests/how_to_test_systems.rs
rename to integration_tests/src/how_to_test_systems.rs
index a2cb86a680dfe..6610b6c9cf73b 100644
--- a/tests/how_to_test_systems.rs
+++ b/integration_tests/src/how_to_test_systems.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#![expect(missing_docs, reason = "Not all docs are written yet, see #3492.")]
+#![cfg(test)]
 use bevy::prelude::*;
 
 #[derive(Component, Default)]
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ fn did_despawn_enemy() {
 
     // Get `EnemyDied` event reader
     let enemy_died_events = app.world().resource::<Events<EnemyDied>>();
-    let mut enemy_died_reader = enemy_died_events.get_cursor();
-    let enemy_died = enemy_died_reader.read(enemy_died_events).next().unwrap();
+    let mut enemy_died_cursor = enemy_died_events.get_cursor();
+    let enemy_died = enemy_died_cursor.read(enemy_died_events).next().unwrap();
 
     // Check the event has been sent
     assert_eq!(enemy_died.0, 1);
@@ -133,7 +133,10 @@ fn spawn_enemy_using_input_resource() {
     app.update();
 
     // Check resulting changes, one entity has been spawned with `Enemy` component
-    assert_eq!(app.world_mut().query::<&Enemy>().iter(app.world()).len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(
+        app.world_mut().query::<&Enemy>().iter(&app.world()).len(),
+        1
+    );
 
     // Clear the `just_pressed` status for all `KeyCode`s
     app.world_mut()
@@ -144,7 +147,10 @@ fn spawn_enemy_using_input_resource() {
     app.update();
 
     // Check resulting changes, no new entity has been spawned
-    assert_eq!(app.world_mut().query::<&Enemy>().iter(app.world()).len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(
+        app.world_mut().query::<&Enemy>().iter(&app.world()).len(),
+        1
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/integration_tests/src/lib.rs b/integration_tests/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a3b1eabd27527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+mod how_to_test_apps;
+mod how_to_test_systems;
+mod scenes;
diff --git a/integration_tests/src/scenes/components.rs b/integration_tests/src/scenes/components.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4b15f62443b8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/src/scenes/components.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+#![cfg(test)]
+//! Testing of serialization and deserialization of diverse scene components.
+
+use bevy::ecs::entity::EntityHashMap;
+use bevy::prelude::*;
+use bevy::reflect::erased_serde::__private::serde::de::DeserializeSeed;
+use bevy::reflect::erased_serde::__private::serde::Serialize;
+use bevy::reflect::TypeRegistry;
+use bevy::scene::serde::{SceneDeserializer, SceneSerializer};
+use bevy::scene::ScenePlugin;
+use bincode::Options;
+use std::io::BufReader;
+
+#[test]
+fn ron_roundtrip_equality() {
+    assert_round_trip_equality(serialize_world_ron, deserialize_world_ron);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn postcard_roundtrip_equality() {
+    assert_round_trip_equality(serialize_world_postcard, deserialize_world_postcard);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn bincode_roundtrip_equality() {
+    assert_round_trip_equality(serialize_world_bincode, deserialize_world_bincode);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn messagepack_roundtrip_equality() {
+    assert_round_trip_equality(serialize_world_messagepack, deserialize_world_messagepack);
+}
+
+/// Convenience function for testing the roundtrip equality of different serialization methods.
+fn assert_round_trip_equality(
+    serialize: fn(DynamicScene, &TypeRegistry) -> Vec<u8>,
+    deserialize: fn(SceneDeserializer, &[u8]) -> DynamicScene,
+) {
+    let mut input_app = create_test_app();
+    spawn_test_entities(&mut input_app);
+
+    let type_registry = input_app.world().resource::<AppTypeRegistry>().read();
+    let scene = DynamicScene::from_world(&input_app.world());
+    let serialized = serialize(scene, &type_registry);
+
+    // We use a clean app to deserialize into, so nothing of the input app can interfere.
+    let mut output_app = create_test_app();
+    let scene = {
+        let scene_deserializer = SceneDeserializer {
+            type_registry: &output_app.world().resource::<AppTypeRegistry>().read(),
+        };
+        deserialize(scene_deserializer, &serialized)
+    };
+
+    let mut entity_map = EntityHashMap::default();
+    scene
+        .write_to_world(&mut output_app.world_mut(), &mut entity_map)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Could not add deserialized scene to world: {error}"));
+
+    // TODO: Ideally we'd check whether the input and output world are exactly equal. But the world does not implement Eq.
+    //                         so instead we check the serialized outputs against each other. However, this will miss anything that fails to serialize in the first place.
+
+    let type_registry = input_app.world().resource::<AppTypeRegistry>().read();
+    let scene = DynamicScene::from_world(&input_app.world());
+    let serialized_again = serialize(scene, &type_registry);
+
+    assert_eq!(serialized, serialized_again);
+}
+
+fn serialize_world_ron(scene: DynamicScene, type_registry: &TypeRegistry) -> Vec<u8> {
+    scene
+        .serialize(type_registry)
+        .map(|output| output.as_bytes().to_vec())
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to serialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn deserialize_world_ron(scene_deserializer: SceneDeserializer, input: &[u8]) -> DynamicScene {
+    let mut deserializer = ron::de::Deserializer::from_bytes(input)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to deserialize: {error}"));
+    scene_deserializer
+        .deserialize(&mut deserializer)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to deserialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn serialize_world_postcard(scene: DynamicScene, type_registry: &TypeRegistry) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let scene_serializer = SceneSerializer::new(&scene, type_registry);
+    postcard::to_allocvec(&scene_serializer)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to serialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn deserialize_world_postcard(scene_deserializer: SceneDeserializer, input: &[u8]) -> DynamicScene {
+    let mut deserializer = postcard::Deserializer::from_bytes(input);
+    scene_deserializer
+        .deserialize(&mut deserializer)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to deserialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn serialize_world_bincode(scene: DynamicScene, type_registry: &TypeRegistry) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let scene_serializer = SceneSerializer::new(&scene, type_registry);
+    bincode::serialize(&scene_serializer)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to serialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn deserialize_world_bincode(scene_deserializer: SceneDeserializer, input: &[u8]) -> DynamicScene {
+    bincode::DefaultOptions::new()
+        .with_fixint_encoding()
+        .deserialize_seed(scene_deserializer, input)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to deserialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn serialize_world_messagepack(scene: DynamicScene, type_registry: &TypeRegistry) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let scene_serializer = SceneSerializer::new(&scene, type_registry);
+    let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    let mut ser = rmp_serde::Serializer::new(&mut buf);
+    scene_serializer
+        .serialize(&mut ser)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to serialize: {error}"));
+    buf
+}
+
+fn deserialize_world_messagepack(
+    scene_deserializer: SceneDeserializer,
+    input: &[u8],
+) -> DynamicScene {
+    let mut reader = BufReader::new(input);
+
+    scene_deserializer
+        .deserialize(&mut rmp_serde::Deserializer::new(&mut reader))
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("Scene failed to deserialize: {error}"))
+}
+
+fn create_test_app() -> App {
+    let mut app = App::new();
+    app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins).add_plugins((
+        AssetPlugin::default(),
+        ScenePlugin,
+        TransformPlugin,
+    ));
+
+    app
+}
+
+fn spawn_test_entities(app: &mut App) {
+    let entity_1 = app.world_mut().spawn(Transform::default()).id();
+    app.world_mut().spawn(ReferenceComponent(Some(entity_1)));
+
+    app.world_mut()
+        .spawn(VectorComponent {
+            integer_vector: vec![1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 123456789],
+            // Testing different characters in strings
+            string_vector: vec![
+                // Basic string
+                "Hello World!".to_string(),
+                // Common special characters
+                "!@#$%^&*(){}[]-=_+\\|,.<>/?;:'\"`~".to_string(),
+                // Emoji
+                "😄🌲🕊️🐧🏁".to_string(),
+                // Chinese characters
+                "月亮太阳".to_string(),
+                // Non-breaking space.
+                " ".to_string(),
+            ],
+        })
+        .insert(TupleComponent(
+            (-12, "A tuple".to_string(), 2.345),
+            (true, false, 0),
+        ));
+}
+
+/// Tests if Entity ids survive serialization.
+#[derive(Component, Reflect, Default)]
+#[reflect(Component)]
+struct ReferenceComponent(Option<Entity>);
+
+/// Tests if vectors survive serialization.
+#[derive(Component, Reflect, Default)]
+#[reflect(Component)]
+struct VectorComponent {
+    integer_vector: Vec<u32>,
+    string_vector: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+/// Tests if tuples survive serialization.
+#[derive(Component, Reflect, Default)]
+#[reflect(Component)]
+struct TupleComponent((i32, String, f32), (bool, bool, u32));
diff --git a/integration_tests/src/scenes/mod.rs b/integration_tests/src/scenes/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..11cce97ae8fb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/src/scenes/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#![cfg(test)]
+mod components;