This is a standard way of testing usability for a lot of things, it’s just been modified for icons.

Do you have access to your users to run a test, or have you got to predict what happens in their absense?

In the past I’ve usually run icon usability tests to show that whilst icons “look pretty” they’re a real pain to work into a user-friendly interface

I create a set of icons, then ask the target audience to explain what they are for and how sure they are that they’ve made a correct assumption and ask them to explain their reasons for the responses.

Then I graph out the quantitative information like correct answers vs wrong answers and confidence vs uncertainty and sprinkle in a few of the comments when they help explain the findings.

Then put the findings and my recommendations into a report and give it to the client.

Does that help?Let me know if you have any more thoughts in how you plan to test your icon set.

Cheers for the comment