diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_courses.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_courses.py
index 7cb2f8b54b..2f4868b27b 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_courses.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_courses.py
@@ -3,21 +3,59 @@ import datetime
 
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.test.utils import override_settings
 
 from student.models import CourseEnrollment
 import courseware.courses as courses
 from xmodule.modulestore.xml import XMLModuleStore
+from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 
+def xml_store_config(data_dir):
+    return {
+    'default': {
+        'ENGINE': 'xmodule.modulestore.xml.XMLModuleStore',
+        'OPTIONS': {
+            'data_dir': data_dir,
+            'default_class': 'xmodule.hidden_module.HiddenDescriptor',
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+TEST_DATA_DIR = settings.COMMON_TEST_DATA_ROOT
+TEST_DATA_XML_MODULESTORE = xml_store_config(TEST_DATA_DIR)
+
+@override_settings(MODULESTORE=TEST_DATA_XML_MODULESTORE)
 class CoursesTestCase(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.user = User.objects.create(username='dummy', password='123456',
                                         email='test@mit.edu')
         self.date = datetime.datetime(2013,1,22)
-        self.course_id = 'edx/toy/Fall_2012'
+        self.course_id = 'edx/toy/2012_Fall'
         self.enrollment = CourseEnrollment.objects.get_or_create(user = self.user,
                                                   course_id = self.course_id,
                                                   created = self.date)[0]
-        self.xml_modulestore = XMLModuleStore()
+        self._MODULESTORES = {}
+        self.toy_course = modulestore().get_course('edX/toy/2012_Fall')
     
     def test_get_course_by_id(self):
-        courses.get_course_by_id(self.course_id)
+        courses.get_course_by_id("edx/toy/2012_Fall")
+
+@override_settings(MODULESTORE=TEST_DATA_XML_MODULESTORE)
+class CoursesTests(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self._MODULESTORES = {}
+        self.course_name = 'edX/toy/2012_Fall'
+        self.toy_course = modulestore().get_course('edX/toy/2012_Fall')
+        self.fake_user = User.objects.create(is_superuser=True)
+
+        '''
+        no test written for get_request_for_thread
+        '''
+
+    def test_get_course_by_id(self):
+        self.test_course_id = "edX/toy/2012_Fall"
+        # print modulestore().get_instance(test_course_id, Location('i4x', 'edx', 'toy', 'course', '2012_Fall'))
+        self.assertEqual(courses.get_course_by_id(self.test_course_id),modulestore().get_instance(self.test_course_id, Location('i4x', 'edX', 'toy', 'course', '2012_Fall'), None))
+
+