diff --git a/api/jest.utils.ts b/api/jest.utils.ts
index 09c7b5951a6..698922a058d 100644
--- a/api/jest.utils.ts
+++ b/api/jest.utils.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ export function setupServer(): void {
     await fastify.ready();
 
     global.fastifyTestInstance = fastify;
-  });
+    // allow a little time to setup the db
+  }, 10000);
 
   afterAll(async () => {
     // Due to a prisma bug, this is not enough, we need to --force-exit jest:
diff --git a/api/src/db/prisma.ts b/api/src/db/prisma.ts
index 390be6f388b..777aaf31bd0 100644
--- a/api/src/db/prisma.ts
+++ b/api/src/db/prisma.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { execSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import fp from 'fastify-plugin';
 import { FastifyPluginAsync } from 'fastify';
 import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
@@ -18,6 +19,19 @@ const isTest = (workerId: string | undefined): workerId is string =>
   !!workerId && FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'development';
 
 const prismaPlugin: FastifyPluginAsync = fp(async (server, _options) => {
+  if (isTest(process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID)) {
+    // push the schema to the test db to setup indexes, unique constraints, etc
+    execSync('pnpm prisma db push', {
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        MONGOHQ_URL: createTestConnectionURL(
+          MONGOHQ_URL,
+          process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID
+        )
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   const prisma = isTest(process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID)
     ? new PrismaClient({
         datasources: {