             return _readyToTearDown;
         }
 
-        private function setUpNullIterators():void {
+        protected function setUpNullIterators():void {
             // Set up null iterators for access to length
             // and other properties...
             testMethods        = new ArrayIterator();

         * @param   test    An instance of a class with methods that have [Before] metadata.
         * @return  An array of Method instances.
         */
        private function getBeforeMethods(test:Object):Array {
            return getMethodsWithMetadata(test, "Before");
        }
        
        /**
         *
         * @param   test    An instance of a class with methods that have [Test] metadata.
         * @return  An array of Method instances.
         */
        private function getTestMethods(test:Object):Array {
            return getMethodsWithMetadata(test, "Test");
        }
        

            return next();
        }

        protected function updateReadyToTearDown():void {
            // Used by TestRunner to remove visual
            // entities:
            if(!beforeClassMethods.hasNext() &&
