diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ea63ae0d..9b1affa6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,7 +31,13 @@ Especially set correct values for `POSTGRES_*` and `DATABASE_URL`
 
 ### Server part
 
-The "prepare_server.sh" script will create the database according to `POSTGRE_*` environment variables.
+Install python dependencies:
+
+```bash
+pip install -r server/requirements/requirements-dev.txt
+```
+
+The "prepare_server.sh" script will create the database according to `POSTGRES_*` environment variables.
 It will also setup the tables for django and run the django development server.
 
 ```bash
@@ -45,6 +51,8 @@ It will also setup the tables for django and run the django development server.
 ### Client part
 
 ```bash
+cd client
+
 npm install
 
 # run dev server
@@ -56,6 +64,7 @@ npm run dev
 Cypress and TailwindCSS ist installed for client and server, so there is this package.json on the project root directory
 
 ```bash
+# in project root directory
 npm install
 ```
 
@@ -82,8 +91,6 @@ npm install
 #### Install the tailwind css Plugin from Jetbrains
 
 
-
-
 ## Wagtail API intro
 
 get all pages:
diff --git a/prepare_server.sh b/prepare_server.sh
index 655f1fe5..09d92220 100755
--- a/prepare_server.sh
+++ b/prepare_server.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 if [ -z "$CI" ];
 then
-  # kill all subprocess on exit
+  # kill all subprocess on exit so that Bitbucket Pipelines process will not hang
   trap "exit" INT TERM ERR
   trap "kill 0" EXIT
 else echo "CI is set to $CI";
@@ -35,13 +35,17 @@ done
 echo "SKIP_SETUP = ${SKIP_SETUP}"
 
 POSTGRES_DB=${POSTGRES_DB:-vbv_lernwelt}
+POSTGRES_HOST=${POSTGRES_HOST:-localhost}
+POSTGRES_PORT=${POSTGRES_PORT:-5432}
+POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER:-postgres}
 DJANGO_PORT=${DJANGO_PORT:-8000}
 
 mypsql() {
-  psql -h "${POSTGRES_HOST:-localhost}" -p "${POSTGRES_PORT:-5432}" -U "${POSTGRES_USER:-postgres}" "$@"
+  psql -h "${POSTGRES_HOST}" -p "${POSTGRES_PORT}" -U "${POSTGRES_USER}" "$@"
 }
 
 if [ "$SKIP_SETUP" = false ]; then
+    # TODO: in heroku we must do a `pg:resets` to reset the db
     echo "Drop all connections to $POSTGRES_DB"
     mypsql -c "SELECT pg_terminate_backend(pg_stat_activity.pid) FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE pg_stat_activity.datname = '$POSTGRES_DB' AND pid <> pg_backend_pid();" > /dev/null 2>&1
     echo "Drop database: $POSTGRES_DB"
@@ -58,8 +62,9 @@ if [ "$SKIP_SETUP" = false ]; then
     # make django translations
     (cd server && python3 manage.py compilemessages --settings="$DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE")
 else
-  echo "else"
-#    python3 src/manage.py recreate_customer_data_for_integration_tests --settings="$DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE"
+    # TODO: can we reset important data without resetting the database?
+    echo "Skip database setup"
+    # python3 src/manage.py cypress_reset --settings="$DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE"
 fi
 
 if [ "$START_BACKGROUND" = true ]; then
diff --git a/prepare_server_cypress.sh b/prepare_server_cypress.sh
index 36789573..fa2e45ce 100755
--- a/prepare_server_cypress.sh
+++ b/prepare_server_cypress.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-export POSTGRES_DB=vbv_lernwelt_cypress
-export DJANGO_PORT=8001
-export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=config.settings.test_cypress
 export IT_APP_ENVIRONMENT=development
+export DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=config.settings.test_cypress
+export DJANGO_PORT=8001
+export POSTGRES_DB=vbv_lernwelt_cypress
 
 ./prepare_server.sh "$@"
diff --git a/server/config/settings/base.py b/server/config/settings/base.py
index ba700be2..4852c980 100644
--- a/server/config/settings/base.py
+++ b/server/config/settings/base.py
@@ -473,11 +473,14 @@ SPECTACULAR_SETTINGS = {
 # Your stuff...
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+if DEBUG:
+    SECRET_KEY = env(
+        "IT_DJANGO_SECRET_KEY",
+        default="J9FiYN31FuY7lHrmx9Mpai3GGpTVCxakEclOfCLretDe7bTf2DtTsgazJ0aIMtbq",
+    )
+else:
+    SECRET_KEY = env("IT_DJANGO_SECRET_KEY")
 
-SECRET_KEY = env(
-    "IT_DJANGO_SECRET_KEY",
-    default="J9FiYN31FuY7lHrmx9Mpai3GGpTVCxakEclOfCLretDe7bTf2DtTsgazJ0aIMtbq",
-)
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#allowed-hosts
 ALLOWED_HOSTS = env.list(
     "IT_DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS", default=["localhost", "0.0.0.0", "127.0.0.1"]
diff --git a/server/config/settings/test.py b/server/config/settings/test.py
index 39548444..bb7e88fc 100644
--- a/server/config/settings/test.py
+++ b/server/config/settings/test.py
@@ -1,27 +1,17 @@
 # pylint: disable=unused-wildcard-import,wildcard-import,wrong-import-position
-import getpass
 import os
 
+os.environ['IT_APP_ENVIRONMENT'] = 'development'
+
 from .base import *  # noqa
 from .base import env
 
-# GENERAL
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#secret-key
-SECRET_KEY = env(
-    "IT_DJANGO_SECRET_KEY",
-    default="1NpUCSvAKLpDZL9e3tqDaUe8Kk2xAuF1tXosFjBanc4lFCgNcfBp02MD3UjB72ZS",
-)
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#test-runner
 TEST_RUNNER = "django.test.runner.DiscoverRunner"
 
-# PASSWORDS
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#password-hashers
 PASSWORD_HASHERS = ["django.contrib.auth.hashers.MD5PasswordHasher"]
 
-# EMAIL
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#email-backend
 EMAIL_BACKEND = "django.core.mail.backends.locmem.EmailBackend"
 
@@ -35,18 +25,3 @@ class DisableMigrations(dict):
 
 
 MIGRATION_MODULES = DisableMigrations()
-
-DATABASES = {
-    "default": {
-        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2",
-        "NAME": "vbv_lernwelt_test",
-        "USER": os.environ.get("PG_USER", getpass.getuser()),
-        "PASSWORD": os.environ.get("PG_PASSWORD"),
-        "HOST": "localhost",
-        "PORT": os.environ.get("PG_PORT", ""),
-    }
-}
-
-
-# Your stuff...
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/server/config/settings/test_cypress.py b/server/config/settings/test_cypress.py
index e3c625b1..5f4c706a 100644
--- a/server/config/settings/test_cypress.py
+++ b/server/config/settings/test_cypress.py
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 # pylint: disable=unused-wildcard-import,wildcard-import,wrong-import-position
-import getpass
-import os
 
 from .base import *  # noqa
-from .base import env
 
 # GENERAL
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/settings/#secret-key
-SECRET_KEY = env(
-    "IT_DJANGO_SECRET_KEY",
-    default="1LhwZ0DvP4cGBgbBdCfaBQV7eiaOc4jWKdzO9WEXLFT7AaqBN6jqd0uyaZeAZ19K",
-)
+DATABASES['default']['NAME'] = 'vbv_lernwelt_cypress'
 
 # EMAIL
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -19,19 +13,6 @@ SECRET_KEY = env(
 EMAIL_BACKEND = "django.core.mail.backends.locmem.EmailBackend"
 
 CYPRESS_TEST = True
-DEBUG = True
-
-
-DATABASES = {
-    "default": {
-        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2",
-        "NAME": "vbv_lernwelt_cypress",
-        "USER": os.environ.get("PG_USER", getpass.getuser()),
-        "PASSWORD": os.environ.get("PG_PASSWORD"),
-        "HOST": "localhost",
-        "PORT": os.environ.get("PG_PORT", ""),
-    }
-}
 
 # Your stuff...
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/management/commands/create_default_learningpath.py b/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/management/commands/create_default_learningpath.py
index 5faf3e59..1f5702fb 100644
--- a/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/management/commands/create_default_learningpath.py
+++ b/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/management/commands/create_default_learningpath.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
 
 import djclick as click
-from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 
 from vbv_lernwelt.learnpath.tests.create_default_learning_path import create_default_learning_path
 
diff --git a/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/tests/create_default_learning_path.py b/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/tests/create_default_learning_path.py
index 17513b03..06946978 100644
--- a/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/tests/create_default_learning_path.py
+++ b/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/tests/create_default_learning_path.py
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import wagtail_factories
 from wagtail.core.models import Site
 
 from vbv_lernwelt.learnpath.models import LearningPath, Topic, Circle, LearningSequence, LearningUnit
-from vbv_lernwelt.learnpath.tests.create_default_competences import create_default_competences
 from vbv_lernwelt.learnpath.tests.learningpath_factories import LearningPathFactory, TopicFactory, CircleFactory, \
-    LearningSequenceFactory, LearningUnitFactory, VideoBlockFactory, WebBasedTrainingBlockFactory, LearningPackageFactory
+    LearningSequenceFactory, LearningUnitFactory, VideoBlockFactory, WebBasedTrainingBlockFactory, \
+    LearningPackageFactory
 
 
 def create_default_learning_path():
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ def create_default_learning_path():
 
     tp = TopicFactory(title="Basis", is_visible=False, learning_path=lp)
 
-    circle_1 = CircleFactory(title="Basis", parent=lp, topic=tp, description="""In diesem Circle erklären wir dir, wie der Lehrgang
-    Versicherungsvermittler / in " aufgebaut ist. Zudem vermitteln wir dir die wichtigsten Grundlagen,
-     damit erfolgreich mit deinem Lernpfad starten kannst.""")
+    circle_1 = CircleFactory(title="Basis", parent=lp, topic=tp, description="""
+In diesem Circle erklären wir dir, wie der Lehrgang
+Versicherungsvermittler / in " aufgebaut ist. Zudem vermitteln wir dir die wichtigsten Grundlagen,
+damit erfolgreich mit deinem Lernpfad starten kannst.""")
 
     ls_1 = LearningSequenceFactory(title='Einleitung', circle=circle_1)