diff --git a/include/trick/DataRecordDispatcher.hh b/include/trick/DataRecordDispatcher.hh
index f1509da2..78d05859 100644
--- a/include/trick/DataRecordDispatcher.hh
+++ b/include/trick/DataRecordDispatcher.hh
@@ -75,9 +75,15 @@ namespace Trick {
             /** @brief Removes all data recording groups. */
             void remove_all_groups() ;
 
-            /** @brief Gets a data recording group. */
+            /** @brief Gets a data recording group by its name. */
             Trick::DataRecordGroup * get_group(std::string group_name) ;
 
+            /** @brief Gets a data recording group by its id number */
+            Trick::DataRecordGroup * get_group(int idx) ;
+
+            /** @brief Gets the size of all added data recroding groups */
+            int get_groups_size() ;
+
             /** @brief Signal the write thread to execute. */
             virtual int signal_thread() ;
 
diff --git a/include/trick/data_record_proto.h b/include/trick/data_record_proto.h
index d5b18e35..2e5a427e 100644
--- a/include/trick/data_record_proto.h
+++ b/include/trick/data_record_proto.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ int set_max_size_record_group (const char * in_name, uint64_t bytes ) ;
 int add_data_record_group( Trick::DataRecordGroup * in_group, Trick::DR_Buffering buffering = Trick::DR_Not_Specified ) ;
 int remove_data_record_group( Trick::DataRecordGroup * in_group ) ;
 Trick::DataRecordGroup * get_data_record_group( std::string in_name ) ;
+Trick::DataRecordGroup * get_data_record_group_by_idx( int idx ) ;
+int get_num_data_record_groups() ;
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/test/SIM_test_dr/RUN_test/unit_test.py b/test/SIM_test_dr/RUN_test/unit_test.py
index eaeac821..2d3cf3a5 100644
--- a/test/SIM_test_dr/RUN_test/unit_test.py
+++ b/test/SIM_test_dr/RUN_test/unit_test.py
@@ -1,10 +1,59 @@
-exec(open("Modified_data/dr_typesASCII.dr").read())
-exec(open("Modified_data/dr_typesBINARY.dr").read())
-exec(open("Modified_data/dr_bitfASCII.dr").read())
-exec(open("Modified_data/dr_bitfBINARY.dr").read())
+from trick.unit_test import *
 
-trick_utest.unit_tests.enable() ;
-trick_utest.unit_tests.set_file_name( os.getenv("TRICK_HOME") + "/trick_test/SIM_test_dr.xml" ) ;
+trick_utest.unit_tests.enable() 
+trick_utest.unit_tests.set_file_name( os.getenv("TRICK_HOME") + "/trick_test/SIM_test_dr.xml" ) 
 
+trick_utest.unit_tests.set_test_name( "DRTest" )
+
+######################################################################################################################
+
+test_suite = "drg api"
+
+# Get the number of data recording groups before any drg is created
+num_drgs = trick.get_num_data_record_groups()
+
+# Check the result of trick.get_num_data_record_groups()
+TRICK_EXPECT_EQ( num_drgs , 0 , test_suite , "0 drgs before any created" )
+
+# The first item of each pair is the .dr file name and the second item of each pair is the drg name
+dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple = (('Modified_data/dr_typesASCII.dr', 'DR_typesASCII'), 
+                               ('Modified_data/dr_typesBINARY.dr', 'DR_typesBINARY'), 
+                               ('Modified_data/dr_bitfASCII.dr', 'DR_bitfieldsASCII'), 
+                               ('Modified_data/dr_bitfBINARY.dr', 'DR_bitfieldsBINARY'))
+
+num_files = len(dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple)
+for i in range(num_files):
+    exec(open(dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple[i][0]).read())
+
+# Get the number of data recording groups created
+num_drgs = trick.get_num_data_record_groups()
+
+# Check the result of trick.get_num_data_record_groups()
+TRICK_EXPECT_EQ( num_drgs , 4 , test_suite , "num of dr groups = 4" )
+
+# Test trick.get_data_record_group(<drg_name>) for getting the drg pointer by its name
+# Check the name of the obtained drg instead of the drg pointer
+for i in range(num_drgs):
+    TRICK_EXPECT_EQ(  trick.get_data_record_group(dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple[i][1]).get_group_name(), dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple[i][1], test_suite , "get drg by name " + dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple[i][1] )
+
+# Test trick.get_data_record_group_by_idx(<drg_idx) for getting the drg pointer by its id number
+# Check the name of the obtained drg instead of the drg pointer
+for i in range(num_drgs):
+    TRICK_EXPECT_EQ(  trick.get_data_record_group_by_idx(i).get_group_name(), dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple[i][1], test_suite , "get drg by drg id " + str(i) )
+
+is_null = False
+if trick.get_data_record_group(dr_file_name_drg_name_tuple[0][1]+'test') is None :
+    is_null = True
+TRICK_EXPECT_TRUE(  is_null, test_suite , "null drg by nonexistent drg name" )
+
+is_null = False
+if trick.get_data_record_group_by_idx(num_drgs+1) is None :
+    is_null = True
+TRICK_EXPECT_TRUE(  is_null, test_suite , "null drg by drg id 5" )
+
+is_null = False
+if trick.get_data_record_group_by_idx(-1) is None :
+    is_null = True
+TRICK_EXPECT_TRUE(  is_null, test_suite , "null drg by drg id -1" )
 
 trick.stop(1.0)
diff --git a/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/DataRecordDispatcher.cpp b/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/DataRecordDispatcher.cpp
index ac75689c..9669ba70 100644
--- a/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/DataRecordDispatcher.cpp
+++ b/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/DataRecordDispatcher.cpp
@@ -180,6 +180,10 @@ void Trick::DataRecordDispatcher::remove_all_groups() {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ @details
+ -# Gets the data recording group by its name
+ */
 Trick::DataRecordGroup * Trick::DataRecordDispatcher::get_group(std::string in_name) {
     std::vector <Trick::DataRecordGroup *>::iterator it ;
     for ( it = groups.begin() ; it != groups.end() ; ++it ) {
@@ -189,6 +193,25 @@ Trick::DataRecordGroup * Trick::DataRecordDispatcher::get_group(std::string in_n
     return NULL ;
 }
 
+/**
+ @details
+ -# Gets the data recording group by its id number
+ */
+Trick::DataRecordGroup * Trick::DataRecordDispatcher::get_group(int in_idx) {
+    if (!groups.empty() && in_idx > -1 && in_idx < groups.size()) {
+        return groups[in_idx];
+    }
+    return NULL ;
+}
+
+/**
+ @details
+ -# Gets the size of all added data recroding groups
+ */
+int Trick::DataRecordDispatcher::get_groups_size() {
+    return groups.size();
+}
+
 /**
 @details
 -# If the writer thread condition variable is unlocked
diff --git a/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/data_record_utilities.cpp b/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/data_record_utilities.cpp
index 479ac758..1077861e 100644
--- a/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/data_record_utilities.cpp
+++ b/trick_source/sim_services/DataRecord/data_record_utilities.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,20 @@ extern "C" Trick::DataRecordGroup * get_data_record_group( std::string in_name )
     return NULL ;
 }
 
+extern "C" Trick::DataRecordGroup * get_data_record_group_by_idx( int in_idx ) {
+    if ( the_drd != NULL ) {
+        return the_drd->get_group(in_idx) ;
+    }
+    return NULL ;
+}
+
+extern "C" int get_num_data_record_groups() {
+   if ( the_drd != NULL ) {
+        return the_drd->get_groups_size() ;
+    }
+    return 0 ;
+}
+
 extern "C" int set_max_size_record_group (const char * in_name, uint64_t bytes ) {
     if ( the_drd != NULL ) {
     return the_drd->set_group_max_file_size(in_name, bytes ) ;