diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/java/JavaRDDLike.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/java/JavaRDDLike.scala
index 5c7548d56cdf3..fc817cdd6a3f8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/java/JavaRDDLike.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/java/JavaRDDLike.scala
@@ -547,11 +547,6 @@ trait JavaRDDLike[T, This <: JavaRDDLike[T, This]] extends Serializable {
    */
   def isCheckpointed: Boolean = rdd.isCheckpointed
 
-  /**
-   * Return whether this RDD has been checkpointed and materialized or not
-   */
-  private[spark] def isCheckpointedAndMaterialized: Boolean = rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized
-
   /**
    * Gets the name of the file to which this RDD was checkpointed
    */
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/rdd/RDD.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/rdd/RDD.scala
index 141d17a561b0a..a97bb174438a5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/rdd/RDD.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/rdd/RDD.scala
@@ -1544,13 +1544,14 @@ abstract class RDD[T: ClassTag](
   }
 
   /**
-   * Return whether this RDD is marked for checkpointing, either reliably or locally.
+   * Return whether this RDD is checkpointed and materialized, either reliably or locally.
    */
   def isCheckpointed: Boolean = checkpointData.exists(_.isCheckpointed)
 
   /**
-   * Return whether this RDD is marked for checkpointing and materialized,
-   * either reliably or locally.
+   * Return whether this RDD is checkpointed and materialized, either reliably or locally.
+   * This is introduced as an alias for `isCheckpointed` to clarify the semantics of the
+   * return value. Exposed for testing.
    */
   private[spark] def isCheckpointedAndMaterialized: Boolean = isCheckpointed
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/JavaAPISuite.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/JavaAPISuite.java
index 0818c50499fe4..fd8f7f39b7cc8 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/JavaAPISuite.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/JavaAPISuite.java
@@ -1420,13 +1420,9 @@ public void checkpointAndComputation() {
     JavaRDD<Integer> rdd = sc.parallelize(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5));
     sc.setCheckpointDir(tempDir.getAbsolutePath());
     Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointed());
-    Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized());
     rdd.checkpoint();
-    Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointed());
-    Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized());
     rdd.count(); // Forces the DAG to cause a checkpoint
     Assert.assertTrue(rdd.isCheckpointed());
-    Assert.assertTrue(rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized());
     Assert.assertEquals(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5), rdd.collect());
   }
 
@@ -1435,13 +1431,9 @@ public void checkpointAndRestore() {
     JavaRDD<Integer> rdd = sc.parallelize(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5));
     sc.setCheckpointDir(tempDir.getAbsolutePath());
     Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointed());
-    Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized());
     rdd.checkpoint();
-    Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointed());
-    Assert.assertFalse(rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized());
     rdd.count(); // Forces the DAG to cause a checkpoint
     Assert.assertTrue(rdd.isCheckpointed());
-    Assert.assertTrue(rdd.isCheckpointedAndMaterialized());
 
     Assert.assertTrue(rdd.getCheckpointFile().isPresent());
     JavaRDD<Integer> recovered = sc.checkpointFile(rdd.getCheckpointFile().get());