One subject of the invention is a process for checking the robustness of a particulate filter intended to be used in the exhaust line of a diesel engine, comprising the steps consisting in, having first determined the soot mass limit of the filter, loading a new filter with a level of soot at least equal to two times and at most equal to three times the soot mass limit, then making the filter undergo a severe regeneration then, in any order, determining the filtration efficiency of the filter, measuring its pressure drop and comparing it to the pressure drop of the new filter, measuring its level of cracking, and finally checking its integrity after a mechanical stress. Another subject of the invention is a method for diagnosing the robustness of a filter.