Because of a lack of existing studies of fatigue testing of interlaminar anticracking materials, this study analyzes the principle of generating reflective cracks using three types of composite specimens: a direct overlay asphalt mixture layer, a repaving - impregnated nonwoven geotextile layer, and a repaving anticracking material layer. The study proposes a method for laboratory fatigue testing and observing reflective cracks. The specimens were used in a bending fatigue test with a centric load and a shear fatigue test with an eccentric load. The test results were analyzed by regression analyses that showed that the anticracking material layer had much better crack resistance than the direct overlay asphalt mixture layer and the repaving - impregnated nonwoven geotextiles layer, because the anticracking material layer could absorb most of bending and shear stresses near the cracks to efficiently delay the generation and expansion of reflective cracks. This study can be used as a reference to make a reasonable selection of an interlaminar anticracking material for rigid - flexible composite pavements. (C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.