A braking test for a high lift system. The system including a plurality of high lift surfaces movably arranged at a wing, a plurality of drive stations coupled with the high lift surfaces via a transmission shaft, a power drive unit coupled with the transmission shaft including an electric motor operably coupled with a brake, and a control unit operably coupled to the power drive unit. The control unit executing a method for testing the brake, including actuating an electric motor, acquiring a sensor output of a sensor coupled during the actuating of the motor and determining a motion of the motor, activating a selected brake under test, measuring an elapsed time until the brake has arrested the motion, and determining if the elapsed time is less than a threshold. Generating a brake failure signal for the selected brake if the elapsed time exceeds the threshold.