diff --git a/client/cypress.frontend.ts b/client/cypress.frontend.ts
index 42bbeedc..29927148 100644
--- a/client/cypress.frontend.ts
+++ b/client/cypress.frontend.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ export default defineConfig({
   chromeWebSecurity: false,
   e2e: {
     baseUrl: "http://localhost:8080",
-    specPattern: 'cypress/e2e/frontend/**/*.spec.{js,ts}',
-    supportFile: 'cypress/support/e2e.js',
+    specPattern: 'cypress/e2e/frontend/**/*.{cy,spec}.{js,ts}',
+    supportFile: 'cypress/support/e2e.ts',
     setupNodeEvents(on, config) {
       on('task', {
         getSchema() {
diff --git a/client/cypress/support/commands.ts b/client/cypress/support/commands.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c38e2449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/cypress/support/commands.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+/// <reference types="cypress" />
+// ***********************************************
+// This example commands.ts shows you how to
+// create various custom commands and overwrite
+// existing commands.
+//
+// For more comprehensive examples of custom
+// commands please read more here:
+// https://on.cypress.io/custom-commands
+// ***********************************************
+//
+//
+// -- This is a parent command --
+// Cypress.Commands.add('login', (email, password) => { ... })
+//
+//
+// -- This is a child command --
+// Cypress.Commands.add('drag', { prevSubject: 'element'}, (subject, options) => { ... })
+//
+//
+// -- This is a dual command --
+// Cypress.Commands.add('dismiss', { prevSubject: 'optional'}, (subject, options) => { ... })
+//
+//
+// -- This will overwrite an existing command --
+// Cypress.Commands.overwrite('visit', (originalFn, url, options) => { ... })
+//
+declare global {
+  namespace Cypress {
+    interface Chainable {
+      /**
+       * Login via API call to the GraphQL endpoint, without calling the frontend. Faster than the other login.
+       * @param   username
+       * @param   password
+       * @example
+       * cy.apolloLogin('ross.geller', 'test')
+       */
+      apolloLogin(username: string, password: string): Chainable<any>
+
+      /**
+       * Selects an element based on the `data-cy=xxx` attribute
+       * @param selector - The value of the data-cy attribute to select
+       * @example
+       * cy.getByDataCy('my-new-button')
+       */
+      getByDataCy(selector: string): Chainable<Element>
+
+      selectClass(schoolClass: string): void
+
+      login(username: string, password: string, visitLogin?: boolean): void
+
+      fakeLogin(username: string, password: string): void
+
+      isSubmissionReadOnly(myText: string): void
+
+      openSidebar(): void
+
+      setup(): void
+    }
+  }
+}
+// installed a fork of the original package, because of this issue:
+// https://github.com/tgriesser/cypress-graphql-mock/issues/23
+// todo: once above issue is fixed, go back to the original repo -> npm install cypress-graphql-mock
+// import 'cypress-graphql-mock';
+import '@iam4x/cypress-graphql-mock';
+import mocks from '../fixtures/mocks';
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('apolloLogin', (username, password) => {
+  const payload = {
+    'operationName': 'BetaLogin',
+    'variables': {
+      'input': {
+        'usernameInput': username,
+        'passwordInput': password,
+      },
+    },
+    'query': 'mutation BetaLogin($input: BetaLoginInput!) {\n  betaLogin(input: $input) {\n    success\n    __typename\n  }\n}\n',
+  };
+
+  cy.request({
+    method: 'POST',
+    url: '/api/graphql-public/',
+    body: payload,
+  });
+});
+
+// todo: replace with apollo call
+Cypress.Commands.add('login', (username, password, visitLogin = false) => {
+  if (visitLogin) {
+    cy.visit('/beta-login');
+  }
+
+  if (username !== '') {
+    cy.get('[data-cy=email-input]').type(username);
+  }
+
+  if (password !== '') {
+    cy.get('[data-cy=password-input]').type(password);
+  }
+  cy.get('[data-cy=login-button]').click();
+});
+
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('getByDataCy', (selector: string) => {
+  return cy.get(`[data-cy=${selector}]`);
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('selectClass', (schoolClass) => {
+  cy.getByDataCy('user-widget-avatar').click();
+  cy.getByDataCy('class-selection').click();
+  cy.getByDataCy('class-selection-entry').contains(schoolClass).click();
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('fakeLogin', () => {
+  cy.log('Logging in (fake)');
+  cy.setCookie('loginStatus', 'true');
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('isSubmissionReadOnly', (myText) => {
+  cy.get('.submission-form__textarea--readonly').as('textarea');
+
+  cy.get('@textarea').invoke('val').should('contain', myText);
+  cy.get('@textarea').should('have.attr', 'readonly');
+  cy.getByDataCy('submission-form-submit').should('not.exist');
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('openSidebar', () => {
+  cy.getByDataCy('user-widget-avatar').click();
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('setup', () => {
+  cy.fakeLogin('nino.teacher', 'test');
+  cy.server();
+  cy.viewport('macbook-15');
+  cy.task('getSchema').then((schema: string) => {
+    cy.mockGraphql({
+      schema,
+      mocks,
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/client/cypress/support/e2e.js b/client/cypress/support/e2e.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from client/cypress/support/e2e.js
rename to client/cypress/support/e2e.ts
diff --git a/client/cypress/support/index.d.ts b/client/cypress/support/index.d.ts
index 254a699d..5e41a64a 100644
--- a/client/cypress/support/index.d.ts
+++ b/client/cypress/support/index.d.ts
@@ -1,33 +1,9 @@
 // Intellisense for custom Commands: https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress-example-todomvc#cypress-intellisense
 declare namespace Cypress {
   interface Chainable<Subject> {
-    /**
-     * Login via API call to the GraphQL endpoint, without calling the frontend. Faster than the other login.
-     * @param   username
-     * @param   password
-     * @example
-     * cy.apolloLogin('ross.geller', 'test')
-     */
-    apolloLogin(username: string, password: string): Chainable<any>
 
-    /**
-     * Selects an element based on the `data-cy=xxx` attribute
-     * @param selector - The value of the data-cy attribute to select
-     * @example
-     * cy.getByDataCy('my-new-button')
-     */
-    getByDataCy(selector: string): Chainable<Element>
 
-    selectClass(schoolClass: string): void
 
-    login(username: string, password: string, visitLogin?: boolean): void
 
-    fakeLogin(username: string, password: string): void
-
-    isSubmissionReadOnly(myText: string): void
-
-    openSidebar(): void
-
-    setup(): void
   }
 }
diff --git a/client/cypress/tsconfig.json b/client/cypress/tsconfig.json
index f87a578b..18edb199 100644
--- a/client/cypress/tsconfig.json
+++ b/client/cypress/tsconfig.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "compilerOptions": {
     "target": "es5",
     "lib": ["es5", "dom"],
-    "types": ["cypress"]
+    "types": ["cypress", "node"]
   },
   "include": ["**/*.ts"]
 }