Can I test my custom CAT5e cable before crimping?

I am wiring up my home using CAT5e cable. Before committing to the cables I have created, I have plugged them in (uncrimped) and they are not working.

Do I need to take the plunge and crimp the cables before I can test them? I was hoping to wire up first and buy a crimping tool later this week. Apologies if this is an obvious question, I couldn't seem to find this information anywhere.

Crimping makes the actual connection by cutting through the insulation on the wires. The colored plastic is insulation; the copper conductor is inside that. There are V-shaped notches on the terminal for each wire that cut precisely through the insulation and compress the wires inside.

Though it is possible to reach the conductor using a needle-tip probe, it certainly would not be worth the time or trouble to do so. The cable itself is reliable, but applying the RJ-45 crimping tool correctly is critical.