diff --git a/GEMINI.md b/GEMINI.md
index 883827c..93a5b4d 100644
--- a/GEMINI.md
+++ b/GEMINI.md
@@ -15,3 +15,13 @@ The primary goal is to use the context of CTF challenges (forensics, crypto, web
 - Understanding standard library modules relevant to security (e.g., `os`, `sys`, `base64`, `hashlib`).
 - Analyzing existing scripts to understand control flow, data structures, and error handling.
 - Exploring how Python interacts with the shell and external tools.
+
+## Test cases
+- Verifying user written code
+- When asked, Write tests cases in `test_utils.py`
+- Don't run anything, just write the cases
+- create a fully temporary test environment in `tests/env`
+- Don't fully delete the environment between tests, just modify as needed when writing new test cases
+- write tests explaining successful passes and failures
+- Try to find breaking elements of user code. Find harder cases that will fail on empty inputs, etc.
+- Include tests that chain multiple functions together
diff --git a/src/ctf/main.py b/src/ctf/main.py
index bda53a7..6e394da 100644
--- a/src/ctf/main.py
+++ b/src/ctf/main.py
@@ -16,31 +16,10 @@ def set_arguments():
     args = parser.parse_args()
     return args
 
-# Class for a competition, defining active catagories, challenges completed, etc
-# return a list of paths for each catagory in a competition
-def active_categories(p: Path) -> list:
-    cats = []
-    if not p.exists(): return []
-    for cat in p.iterdir():
-        cats.append(cat)
-    return cats
-#return a dictionary of competitions in the base directory 
-def active_competitions(dir: str) -> dict:
-    comps = {}
-    p = Path(dir)
-    if not p.exists(): return {}
-    for item in p.iterdir():
-        if item.name == "tools": continue
-        comps[item] = active_categories(item)
-        print(item.name)
-        print(comps[item.name])
-    return comps
-
 
 
 def main():
-    active_comps = active_competitions(enviroment["ctf_dir"])
-    print(active_comps)
+    print("running main")
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/ctf/utils.py b/src/ctf/utils.py
index 533629e..620859f 100644
--- a/src/ctf/utils.py
+++ b/src/ctf/utils.py
@@ -19,6 +19,30 @@ def write_config(data: dict, config = f"{user_config_dir()}/ctf"):
     with open(config, "w") as f:
         toml.dump(data, f)
 
+# return a list of path objects for each catagory in a competition
+def active_categories(p: Path) -> list:
+    cats = []
+    if not p.exists(): return []
+    for cat in p.iterdir():
+        cats.append(cat)
+    return cats
+
+#return a lsit of Path objects of competitions in the base directory 
+def active_competitions(dir: str) -> dict:
+    comps = {}
+    p = Path(dir)
+    if not p.exists(): return {}
+    for item in p.iterdir():
+        if item.name == "tools": continue
+        comps[item] = active_categories(item)
+        print(item.name)
+        print(comps[item])
+    return comps
+
+# Class for a competition, defining active catagories, challenges completed, etc
+class competition():
+    def __init__(self, p: Path):
+        pass
 
 config = load_config("/home/venus/code/ctf/config.toml")
 competition = config["Competition"]
diff --git a/tests/env/config.toml b/tests/env/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f597b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/env/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[Competition]
+name = "PersistentComp"
+
+[Enviroment]
+data_dir = "/home/venus/code/ctf/tests/env"
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index 7f86d14..03258f6 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -1,28 +1,48 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 import toml
-from ctf.utils import load_config
+from ctf.utils import load_config, active_categories, active_competitions
 
-def test_load_config_valid_file(tmp_path):
-    # 1. Setup: Create a temporary TOML file
-    config_file = tmp_path / "test_config.toml"
+# Define the persistent test environment path
+TEST_ENV = Path("tests/env")
+
+def test_load_config_static():
+    """
+    Verifies load_config using the persistent test file.
+    Demonstrates: Reading from a specific relative Path.
+    """
+    config_file = TEST_ENV / "config.toml"
     test_data = {
-        "Competition": {"name": "TestComp"},
-        "Environment": {"data_dir": "/tmp/ctf"}
+        "Competition": {"name": "PersistentComp"},
+        "Enviroment": {"data_dir": str(TEST_ENV.absolute())}
     }
     with open(config_file, "w") as f:
         toml.dump(test_data, f)
     
-    # 2. Act: Load the config using our function
     loaded_data = load_config(str(config_file))
-    
-    # 3. Assert: Verify the data matches
-    assert loaded_data["Competition"]["name"] == "TestComp"
-    assert loaded_data["Environment"]["data_dir"] == "/tmp/ctf"
+    assert loaded_data["Competition"]["name"] == "PersistentComp"
 
-def test_load_config_missing_file():
-    # Act: Try to load a file that doesn't exist
-    loaded_data = load_config("nonexistent_file.toml")
+def test_active_categories_static():
+    """
+    Verifies active_categories using the pre-created 'comp1' folder.
+    Demonstrates: Path.iterdir() behavior on a real directory.
+    """
+    comp_dir = TEST_ENV / "comp1"
+    cats = active_categories(comp_dir)
+    cat_names = [c.name for c in cats]
     
-    # Assert: Should return an empty dictionary
-    assert loaded_data == {}
+    # We expect 'web' and 'pwn' which were created in the setup step
+    assert "web" in cat_names
+    assert "pwn" in cat_names
 
+def test_active_competitions_static():
+    """
+    Verifies active_competitions skips the 'tools' folder in TEST_ENV.
+    Demonstrates: Guard clauses and directory filtering.
+    """
+    # Note: active_competitions takes a string path
+    comps = active_competitions(str(TEST_ENV))
+    comp_names = [p.name for p in comps.keys()]
+    
+    assert "comp1" in comp_names
+    assert "comp2" in comp_names
+    assert "tools" not in comp_names  # The 'tools' folder exists but should be ignored