diff --git a/ate/locustfile_template b/ate/locustfile_template
index 3a3bcd1c..10f53d43 100644
--- a/ate/locustfile_template
+++ b/ate/locustfile_template
@@ -2,17 +2,16 @@
 import zmq
 import os
 from locust import HttpLocust, TaskSet, task
-from ate import testcase, runner, exception
+from ate import runner, exception
 
 class WebPageTasks(TaskSet):
     def on_start(self):
         self.test_runner = runner.Runner(self.client)
-        self.testset = self.locust.testset
 
     @task
     def test_specified_scenario(self):
         try:
-            self.test_runner.run_testset(self.testset)
+            self.test_runner.run(self.locust.file_path)
         except exception.ValidationError:
             pass
 
@@ -22,4 +21,4 @@ class WebPageUser(HttpLocust):
     min_wait = 1000
     max_wait = 5000
 
-    testset = testcase.load_test_file("$TESTCASE_FILE")
+    file_path = "$TESTCASE_FILE"
diff --git a/ate/runner.py b/ate/runner.py
index fadc59c5..298b9372 100644
--- a/ate/runner.py
+++ b/ate/runner.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         return parsed_request
 
-    def run_test(self, testcase):
+    def _run_test(self, testcase):
         """ run single testcase.
         @param (dict) testcase
             {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         return True
 
-    def run_testset(self, testset, variables_mapping=None):
+    def _run_testset(self, testset, variables_mapping=None):
         """ run single testset, including one or several testcases.
         @param
             (dict) testset
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         testcases = testset.get("testcases", [])
         for testcase in testcases:
             try:
-                assert self.run_test(testcase)
+                assert self._run_test(testcase)
             except AssertionError:
                 success = False
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         testsets = testcase.load_testcases_by_path(path)
         for testset in testsets:
             try:
-                result = self.run_testset(testset, mapping)
+                result = self._run_testset(testset, mapping)
                 assert result["success"]
             except AssertionError:
                 success = False
diff --git a/ate/task.py b/ate/task.py
index a653dbff..572192f5 100644
--- a/ate/task.py
+++ b/ate/task.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class ApiTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def runTest(self):
         """ run testcase and check result.
         """
-        self.assertTrue(self.test_runner.run_test(self.testcase))
+        self.assertTrue(self.test_runner._run_test(self.testcase))
 
 class ApiTestSuite(unittest.TestSuite):
     """ create test suite with a testset, it may include one or several testcases.
diff --git a/tests/test_runner.py b/tests/test_runner.py
index 73003f27..dc8495eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_runner.py
+++ b/tests/test_runner.py
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ class TestRunner(ApiServerUnittest):
         for testcase_file_path in self.testcase_file_path_list:
             testcases = utils.load_tests(testcase_file_path)
             testcase = testcases[0]["test"]
-            self.assertTrue(self.test_runner.run_test(testcase))
+            self.assertTrue(self.test_runner._run_test(testcase))
 
             testcase = testcases[1]["test"]
-            self.assertTrue(self.test_runner.run_test(testcase))
+            self.assertTrue(self.test_runner._run_test(testcase))
 
             testcase = testcases[2]["test"]
-            self.assertTrue(self.test_runner.run_test(testcase))
+            self.assertTrue(self.test_runner._run_test(testcase))
 
     def test_run_single_testcase_fail(self):
         testcase = {
@@ -63,12 +63,11 @@ class TestRunner(ApiServerUnittest):
         }
 
         with self.assertRaises(exception.ValidationError):
-            self.test_runner.run_test(testcase)
+            self.test_runner._run_test(testcase)
 
     def test_run_testset_hardcode(self):
         for testcase_file_path in self.testcase_file_path_list:
-            testset = testcase.load_test_file(testcase_file_path)
-            result = self.test_runner.run_testset(testset)
+            result = self.test_runner.run(testcase_file_path)
             self.assertTrue(result["success"])
 
     def test_run_testsets_hardcode(self):
@@ -79,15 +78,13 @@ class TestRunner(ApiServerUnittest):
     def test_run_testset_template_variables(self):
         testcase_file_path = os.path.join(
             os.getcwd(), 'tests/data/demo_testset_variables.yml')
-        testset = testcase.load_test_file(testcase_file_path)
-        result = self.test_runner.run_testset(testset)
+        result = self.test_runner.run(testcase_file_path)
         self.assertTrue(result["success"])
 
     def test_run_testset_template_import_functions(self):
         testcase_file_path = os.path.join(
             os.getcwd(), 'tests/data/demo_testset_template_import_functions.yml')
-        testset = testcase.load_test_file(testcase_file_path)
-        result = self.test_runner.run_testset(testset)
+        result = self.test_runner.run(testcase_file_path)
         self.assertTrue(result["success"])
 
     def test_run_testsets_template_import_functions(self):
@@ -111,18 +108,16 @@ class TestRunner(ApiServerUnittest):
     def test_run_testset_output(self):
         testcase_file_path = os.path.join(
             os.getcwd(), 'tests/data/demo_testset_layer.yml')
-        testset = testcase.load_test_file(testcase_file_path)
-        result = self.test_runner.run_testset(testset)
+        result = self.test_runner.run(testcase_file_path)
         self.assertTrue(result["success"])
         self.assertIn("token", result["output"])
 
     def test_run_testset_with_variables_mapping(self):
         testcase_file_path = os.path.join(
             os.getcwd(), 'tests/data/demo_testset_layer.yml')
-        testset = testcase.load_test_file(testcase_file_path)
         variables_mapping = {
             "app_version": '2.9.7'
         }
-        result = self.test_runner.run_testset(testset, variables_mapping)
+        result = self.test_runner.run(testcase_file_path, variables_mapping)
         self.assertTrue(result["success"])
         self.assertIn("token", result["output"])