diff --git a/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml b/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml
index f212ec6af..d1d2161d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml
@@ -71,5 +71,21 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         ./script/test unit
         ./script/test cert_suite tests/scripts/thread-cert/v1_2_*
+    - name: Keep-1-2-only
+      run: |
+        ./script/test tar 1.1
+        ./script/test tar 1.2-bbr
+    - name: Codecov
+      uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1
+    - name: Keep-1-2-bbr-only
+      run: |
+        ./script/test tar 1.2
+        ./script/test untar 1.2-bbr
+    - name: Codecov
+      uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1
+    - name: Keep-1-1-only
+      run: |
+        ./script/test tar 1.2-bbr
+        ./script/test untar 1.1
     - name: Codecov
       uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1
diff --git a/script/test b/script/test
index f5b30124f..0d3dacdf9 100755
--- a/script/test
+++ b/script/test
@@ -332,6 +332,23 @@ do_package()
     ls "${builddir}"/openthread-daemon-*.deb
 }
 
+do_tar()
+{
+    local target_name="openthread-simulation-$1"
+    local build_dir="${OT_BUILDDIR}/cmake"
+    tar -cf "${target_name}.tar" -C "${build_dir}" "${target_name}"
+    mv "${target_name}.tar" "${build_dir}/"
+    rm -rf "${build_dir:?}/${target_name}"
+}
+
+do_untar()
+{
+    local target_name="openthread-simulation-$1"
+    local build_dir="${OT_BUILDDIR}/cmake"
+    tar -xf "${build_dir}/${target_name}.tar" -C "${build_dir}"
+    rm "${build_dir:?}/${target_name}.tar"
+}
+
 envsetup()
 {
     if [[ ${NODE_MODE} == 'rcp' ]]; then
@@ -418,6 +435,14 @@ main()
                 shift
                 do_expect "$@"
                 ;;
+            tar)
+                shift
+                do_tar "$1"
+                ;;
+            untar)
+                shift
+                do_untar "$1"
+                ;;
         esac
         shift
     done