diff --git a/source/engine/treatVariable.js b/source/engine/treatVariable.js
index 94a9a0779..6c5eb90fc 100644
--- a/source/engine/treatVariable.js
+++ b/source/engine/treatVariable.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react'
 import { Node, Leaf } from './mecanismViews/common'
 import { findRuleByDottedName, disambiguateRuleReference } from './rules'
 import { evaluateNode, rewriteNode, makeJsx } from './evaluation'
-import { evaluateVariable } from './variables'
+import { getSituationValue } from './variables'
 import { Trans } from 'react-i18next'
 
 export let treatVariable = (rules, rule, filter) => parseResult => {
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ export let treatVariable = (rules, rule, filter) => parseResult => {
 			variableHasCond =
 				variable['applicable si'] != null ||
 				variable['non applicable si'] != null,
-			situationValue = evaluateVariable(situation, dottedName, variable),
+			situationValue = getSituationValue(situation, dottedName, variable),
 			needsEvaluation =
 				situationValue == null && (variableHasCond || variableHasFormula),
-			// evaluateVariable renvoit la valeur déduite de la situation courante renseignée par l'utilisateur
 			explanation = needsEvaluation
 				? evaluateNode(cache, situation, parsedRules, variable)
 				: variable
diff --git a/source/engine/variables.js b/source/engine/variables.js
index e8a0cf0cd..1fa5b93cd 100644
--- a/source/engine/variables.js
+++ b/source/engine/variables.js
@@ -23,10 +23,9 @@ let evaluateBottomUp = situationGate => startingFragments => {
 }
 let formatBooleanValue = { oui: true, non: false }
 
-/* Evalue la valeur d'une variable
-en utilisant la fonction situationGate qui donne accès à la situation courante*/
-export let evaluateVariable = (situationGate, variableName, rule) => {
-	// test rec
+export let getSituationValue = (situationGate, variableName, rule) => {
+	// get the current situation value
+	// it's the user input or test input, possibly with default values
 	let value = situationGate(variableName)
 
 	if (rule.API) return typeof value == 'string' ? JSON.parse(value) : value
diff --git a/test/variables.test.js b/test/variables.test.js
index e36dd54e7..26f8f4f6c 100644
--- a/test/variables.test.js
+++ b/test/variables.test.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai'
-import { evaluateBottomUp, evaluateVariable } from '../source/engine/variables'
+import { evaluateBottomUp, getSituationValue } from '../source/engine/variables'
 
-describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
+describe('getSituationValue', function() {
 	it('should directly return the value of any rule that specifies a format (i.e currency, duration)', function() {
 		let rule = { format: 'euros' },
 			state = { salaire: '2300' },
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
-		expect(evaluateVariable(situationGate, 'salaire', rule)).to.equal('2300')
+		expect(getSituationValue(situationGate, 'salaire', rule)).to.equal('2300')
 	})
 
 	it("should interpret rules without a formula as boolean-valued, with 'oui' for true", function() {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
 			state = { condition: 'oui' },
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
-		expect(evaluateVariable(situationGate, 'condition', rule)).to.be.true
+		expect(getSituationValue(situationGate, 'condition', rule)).to.be.true
 	})
 
 	it("should interpret rules without a formula as boolean-valued, with 'non' meaning false", function() {
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
 			state = { condition: 'non' },
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
-		expect(evaluateVariable(situationGate, 'condition', rule)).to.be.false
+		expect(getSituationValue(situationGate, 'condition', rule)).to.be.false
 	})
 
 	it("should interpret rules with 'one of these', with 'oui' for true", function() {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
 			state = { condition: 'oui' },
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
-		expect(evaluateVariable(situationGate, 'condition', rule)).to.be.true
+		expect(getSituationValue(situationGate, 'condition', rule)).to.be.true
 	})
 
 	it('should walk up the namespace chain until it finds the tail as the value', function() {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
 		expect(
-			evaluateVariable(
+			getSituationValue(
 				situationGate,
 				'contrat salarié . CDD . motif . classique . accroissement activité',
 				rule
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
 		expect(
-			evaluateVariable(
+			getSituationValue(
 				situationGate,
 				'contrat salarié . CDD . motif . classique . accroissement activité',
 				rule
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ describe('evaluateVariable', function() {
 			state = { 'univers . ici': 'blanc' },
 			situationGate = name => state[name]
 
-		expect(evaluateVariable(situationGate, 'univers . ici . noir', rule)).to.be
+		expect(getSituationValue(situationGate, 'univers . ici . noir', rule)).to.be
 			.false
 	})
 })