diff --git a/curriculum/getChallenges.js b/curriculum/getChallenges.js
index 0b68376294..dd29320fe7 100644
--- a/curriculum/getChallenges.js
+++ b/curriculum/getChallenges.js
@@ -93,14 +93,17 @@ async function buildCurriculum(file, curriculum) {
 async function parseTranslation(engPath, transPath, dict) {
   const engChal = await parseMarkdown(engPath);
   const translatedChal = await parseMarkdown(transPath);
-  const codeLang = engChal.files[0] ? engChal.files[0].ext : null;
+  const codeLang =
+    engChal.files && engChal.files[0] ? engChal.files[0].ext : null;
 
-  const engWithTranslatedComments = translateCommentsInChallenge(
-    engChal,
-    getChallengeLang(transPath),
-    dict,
-    codeLang
-  );
+  const engWithTranslatedComments = codeLang
+    ? translateCommentsInChallenge(
+        engChal,
+        getChallengeLang(transPath),
+        dict,
+        codeLang
+      )
+    : engChal;
   return mergeChallenges(engWithTranslatedComments, translatedChal);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/__fixtures__/challenge-objects.js b/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/__fixtures__/challenge-objects.js
index 402c12822e..fe2583994a 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/__fixtures__/challenge-objects.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/__fixtures__/challenge-objects.js
@@ -109,6 +109,17 @@ const ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_NO_FILES = {
   files: []
 };
 
+const ENGLISH_VIDEO_CHALLENGE = {
+  id: 'id',
+  title: 'Title',
+  challengeType: 0,
+  videoId: 'abc123',
+  forumTopicId: 12345,
+  question: 'english question',
+  description: 'description html string',
+  instructions: 'instructions html string'
+};
+
 const TRANSLATED_CERTIFICATE = {
   id: '561add10cb82ac38a17513bc',
   title: 'Responsive Web Design Certificate',
@@ -170,6 +181,17 @@ const TRANSLATED_CHALLENGE = {
   ]
 };
 
+const TRANSLATED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE = {
+  id: 'id',
+  title: 'Title',
+  challengeType: 0,
+  videoId: 'abc123',
+  forumTopicId: 12345,
+  question: 'translated question',
+  description: 'translated description html string',
+  instructions: 'translated instructions html string'
+};
+
 const WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE = {
   id: 'id',
   title: 'Title',
@@ -202,6 +224,8 @@ exports.ENGLISH_CERTIFICATE = ENGLISH_CERTIFICATE;
 exports.ENGLISH_CHALLENGE = ENGLISH_CHALLENGE;
 exports.ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_TWO_SOLUTIONS = ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_TWO_SOLUTIONS;
 exports.ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_NO_FILES = ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_NO_FILES;
+exports.ENGLISH_VIDEO_CHALLENGE = ENGLISH_VIDEO_CHALLENGE;
 exports.TRANSLATED_CERTIFICATE = TRANSLATED_CERTIFICATE;
 exports.TRANSLATED_CHALLENGE = TRANSLATED_CHALLENGE;
+exports.TRANSLATED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE = TRANSLATED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE;
 exports.WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE = WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE;
diff --git a/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.js b/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.js
index ecc675d06e..4c5756019c 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.js
@@ -31,31 +31,55 @@ exports.translateCommentsInChallenge = (challenge, lang, dict, codeLang) => {
 };
 
 exports.mergeChallenges = (engChal, transChal) => {
-  if (!transChal.tests || transChal.tests.length !== engChal.tests.length)
-    throw Error(
-      `Challenges in both languages must have the same number of tests.
-    title: ${engChal.title}
-    localeTitle: ${transChal.localeTitle}`
-    );
-
-  const translatedTests =
-    engChal.challengeType === 7
-      ? transChal.tests.map(({ title }, i) => ({
-          title,
-          id: engChal.tests[i].id
-        }))
-      : transChal.tests.map(({ text }, i) => ({
-          text,
-          testString: engChal.tests[i].testString
-        }));
+  const hasTests =
+    (engChal.tests && transChal.tests) ||
+    (engChal.question && transChal.question);
   const challenge = {
     ...engChal,
     description: transChal.description,
     instructions: transChal.instructions,
     localeTitle: transChal.localeTitle,
-    forumTopicId: transChal.forumTopicId,
-    tests: translatedTests
+    forumTopicId: transChal.forumTopicId
   };
+  if (!hasTests)
+    throw Error(
+      `Both challenges must have tests or questions.
+      title: ${engChal.title}
+      localeTitle: ${transChal.localeTitle}`
+    );
+  // TODO: this should break the build when we go to production, but
+  // not for testing.
+  if (transChal.tests && transChal.tests.length !== engChal.tests.length) {
+    console.error(
+      `Challenges in both languages must have the same number of tests.
+    title: ${engChal.title}
+    localeTitle: ${transChal.localeTitle}`
+    );
+    return challenge;
+  }
+
+  // throw Error(
+  //   `Challenges in both languages must have the same number of tests.
+  // title: ${engChal.title}
+  // localeTitle: ${transChal.localeTitle}`
+  // );
+
+  if (transChal.tests) {
+    const translatedTests =
+      engChal.challengeType === 7
+        ? transChal.tests.map(({ title }, i) => ({
+            title,
+            id: engChal.tests[i].id
+          }))
+        : transChal.tests.map(({ text }, i) => ({
+            text,
+            testString: engChal.tests[i].testString
+          }));
+    challenge.tests = translatedTests;
+  } else {
+    challenge.question = transChal.question;
+  }
+
   // certificates do not have forumTopicIds
   if (challenge.challengeType === 7) delete challenge.forumTopicId;
   return challenge;
diff --git a/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.test.js b/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.test.js
index 323618ed31..e17451cab8 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.test.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-md-parser/translation-parser/translation-parser.test.js
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ const {
   ENGLISH_CHALLENGE,
   ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_NO_FILES,
   ENGLISH_CHALLENGE_TWO_SOLUTIONS,
+  ENGLISH_VIDEO_CHALLENGE,
   TRANSLATED_CERTIFICATE,
   TRANSLATED_CHALLENGE,
-  WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE
+  TRANSLATED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE
+  // WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE
 } = require('./__fixtures__/challenge-objects');
 const { SIMPLE_TRANSLATION } = require('./__mocks__/mock-comments');
 
@@ -30,6 +32,11 @@ const COMBINED_CERTIFICATE = mergeChallenges(
   TRANSLATED_CERTIFICATE
 );
 
+const COMBINED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE = mergeChallenges(
+  ENGLISH_VIDEO_CHALLENGE,
+  TRANSLATED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE
+);
+
 let logSpy;
 
 describe('translation parser', () => {
@@ -98,11 +105,12 @@ describe('translation parser', () => {
         TRANSLATED_CHALLENGE.localeTitle
       );
     });
-    it('throws an error if the numbers of tests do not match', () => {
-      expect(() =>
-        mergeChallenges(ENGLISH_CHALLENGE, WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE)
-      ).toThrow();
-    });
+    // TODO: reinstate this after alpha testing.
+    // it('throws an error if the numbers of tests do not match', () => {
+    //   expect(() =>
+    //     mergeChallenges(ENGLISH_CHALLENGE, WRONG_NUM_TESTS_CHALLENGE)
+    //   ).toThrow();
+    // });
     it('takes the forum id from the second challenge', () => {
       expect(COMBINED_CHALLENGE.forumTopicId).toBe(
         TRANSLATED_CHALLENGE.forumTopicId
@@ -130,6 +138,11 @@ describe('translation parser', () => {
         false
       );
     });
+    it('takes the question from the second challenge', () => {
+      expect(COMBINED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE.question).toBe(
+        TRANSLATED_VIDEO_CHALLENGE.question
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('translateCommentsInChallenge', () => {