diff --git a/pages/api/applications.ts b/pages/api/applications.ts
index f3e0887..5abf141 100644
--- a/pages/api/applications.ts
+++ b/pages/api/applications.ts
@@ -8,20 +8,15 @@ import ApplicationResponse from 'bookem-shared/src/models/ApplicationResponse';
 import VolunteerEvents from 'bookem-shared/src/models/VolunteerEvents';
 import { authOptions } from '@/pages/api/auth/[...nextauth]';
 import { getServerSession } from 'next-auth';
+import { makeSessionForAPITest } from '@/utils/api-testing';
 
 export default async function handler(
   req: NextApiRequest,
   res: NextApiResponse
 ) {
   // Get session user
-  const session = await getServerSession(req, res, authOptions);
-  // for API testing only
-  // TODO extract this logic
-  // const session = {
-  //   user: {
-  //     id: '60f3f5f8f0f6f6f6f6f6f6f6',
-  //   },
-  // };
+  const session =
+    (await getServerSession(req, res, authOptions)) || makeSessionForAPITest();
 
   // Get request parameter
   const {
@@ -46,10 +41,6 @@ export default async function handler(
           userId: session.user.id,
         }).populate('eventId');
 
-        // const appliedEvents = applicationResponses.map((applicationResponse) => {
-        //     return applicationResponse.eventId;
-        // };
-
         return res.status(200).json({ message: applicationResponses });
       } catch (error) {
         console.error(error);
diff --git a/pages/api/event/[id]/apply.ts b/pages/api/event/[id]/apply.ts
index 6484b4c..2619810 100644
--- a/pages/api/event/[id]/apply.ts
+++ b/pages/api/event/[id]/apply.ts
@@ -7,20 +7,15 @@ import { ApplicationResponseData } from 'bookem-shared/src/types/database';
 import ApplicationResponse from 'bookem-shared/src/models/ApplicationResponse';
 import { authOptions } from '@/pages/api/auth/[...nextauth]';
 import { getServerSession } from 'next-auth';
+import { makeSessionForAPITest } from '@/utils/api-testing';
 
 export default async function handler(
   req: NextApiRequest,
   res: NextApiResponse
 ) {
   // Get session user
-  const session = await getServerSession(req, res, authOptions);
-  // for API testing only
-  // TODO extract this logic
-  // const session = {
-  //   user: {
-  //     id: '60f3f5f8f0f6f6f6f6f6f6f6',
-  //   },
-  // }
+  let session =
+    (await getServerSession(req, res, authOptions)) || makeSessionForAPITest();
 
   // Get request parameter
   const {
@@ -39,7 +34,6 @@ export default async function handler(
       try {
         await dbConnect();
 
-        // TODO - refactor common id checking to a common util
         if (!id) return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Missing id' });
 
         // check if id is a valid mongoose id
@@ -51,7 +45,6 @@ export default async function handler(
           eventId: id,
         });
 
-        // TODO - refactor a common util for when something is not found
         if (!volunteerApplication) {
           return res
             .status(404)
@@ -77,13 +70,9 @@ export default async function handler(
       try {
         await dbConnect();
 
-        // start a try catch block to catch any errors in parsing the request body
-        // TODO maybe define a DTO for this
-        console.log(req.body);
         const response = req.body as ApplicationResponseData;
         const { answers } = response;
 
-
         // Declare the following ops to be an atomic transaction
         const mongoSession = await mongoose.startSession();
         await mongoSession.withTransaction(async () => {
@@ -95,7 +84,7 @@ export default async function handler(
             answers,
           });
 
-          await newResponse.save()
+          await newResponse.save();
 
           // use the id of the saved response to update the volunteerApplications data
           await VolunteerApplications.updateOne(
diff --git a/pages/api/event/[id]/submitted-application.ts b/pages/api/event/[id]/submitted-application.ts
index 421f24f..afa53d8 100644
--- a/pages/api/event/[id]/submitted-application.ts
+++ b/pages/api/event/[id]/submitted-application.ts
@@ -4,19 +4,15 @@ import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from 'next';
 import ApplicationResponse from 'bookem-shared/src/models/ApplicationResponse';
 import { getServerSession } from 'next-auth';
 import { authOptions } from '@/pages/api/auth/[...nextauth]';
+import { makeSessionForAPITest } from '@/utils/api-testing';
 
 export default async function handler(
   req: NextApiRequest,
   res: NextApiResponse
 ) {
   // Get session user
-  const session = await getServerSession(req, res, authOptions);
-  // for API testing only
-  // const session = {
-  //   user: {
-  //     id: '60f3f5f8f0f6f6f6f6f6f6f6',
-  //   },
-  // };
+  let session =
+    (await getServerSession(req, res, authOptions)) || makeSessionForAPITest();
 
   // Get request parameter
   const {
@@ -35,7 +31,6 @@ export default async function handler(
       try {
         await dbConnect();
 
-        // TODO - refactor common id checking to a common util
         if (!id) return res.status(400).json({ message: 'Missing id' });
 
         // check if id is a valid mongoose id