A new reactor designed to test soot combustion on a filter coated with an oxidation catalyst is described. It is designed to achieve screening investigations of catalysts in realistic conditions, i.e., close to those prevailing in a diesel particulate filter (DPF). In a DPF a soot layer is formed at the surface of a porous wall (filtration area) which may or may not be covered with a catalytic layer. In this new setup, the soot is deposited on a sample of a DPF which can be easily impregnated with oxidation catalysts. A model soot (commercial carbon black) is used for the investigation, and different procedures for the soot deposit on the filter are tested.