diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index b7f2b1dd..fadcf37c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: DAST - Build and run containerised app
         run: |
+          cd apiTest
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d
           
           echo "Waiting for health endpoint..."
diff --git a/apiTest/apiTest_README.md b/apiTest/apiTest_README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3bc1d9e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apiTest/apiTest_README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+# API Test Module
+
+This module contains api tests that run against a Docker containerized version of the application. 
+The tests make HTTP calls to verify the API endpoints are working correctly.
+
+## Overview
+
+The `apiTest` module is a standalone Gradle project that:
+- Runs api tests against the application running in Docker containers
+- Automatically manages Docker containers (starts before tests, stops after)
+- Generates HTML and XML test reports
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before running the tests, ensure you have the following installed and configured:
+
+### Required Software
+
+1. **Java 21** (or higher)
+   - Verify installation: `java -version`
+   - Should show version 21 or higher
+
+2. **Docker Desktop** (or Docker Engine)
+   - Verify installation: `docker --version`
+   - Docker must be running (check with `docker ps`)
+   - Docker Compose V2 must be available: `docker compose version`
+
+### System Requirements
+
+- At least 4GB of free RAM (Docker containers need memory)
+- Ports available: `8082` (application), `5432` (PostgreSQL), `9999` (WireMock)
+- Sufficient disk space for Docker images
+
+## Running Tests
+
+### From the Root Directory
+
+```bash
+# Navigate to the apiTest directory
+cd apiTest
+
+# Run all tests
+../gradlew test
+
+# Run tests with more verbose output
+../gradlew test --info
+
+# Run tests with debug output
+../gradlew test --debug
+```
+
+### From the apiTest Directory
+
+```bash
+# If you're already in the apiTest directory
+../gradlew test
+```
+
+### What Happens When You Run Tests
+
+1. **Builds the root project's bootJar** - The application JAR is built first
+2. **Builds Docker images** - Creates the application Docker image
+3. **Starts Docker containers**:
+   - PostgreSQL database (port 5432)
+   - Application server (port 8082)
+   - WireMock server (port 9999)
+4. **Runs tests** - Executes all test classes
+5. **Stops and removes containers** - Cleanup after tests complete
+
+### Running Specific Tests
+
+```bash
+# Run a specific test class
+../gradlew test --tests "RootApiTest"
+
+# Run a specific test method
+../gradlew test --tests "RootApiTest.root_endpoint_should_be_ok"
+```
+
+## Test Reports
+
+After running tests, you can view the results in several formats:
+
+### HTML Test Report (Recommended)
+
+**Location:** `apiTest/build/reports/tests/test/index.html`
+
+The HTML report includes:
+- Test summary (total, passed, failed, skipped)
+- Individual test results with execution times
+- Stack traces for failed tests
+- Package and class-level summaries
+
+### JUnit XML Reports
+
+**Location:** `apiTest/build/test-results/test/`
+
+These XML reports are useful for CI/CD integration.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Issue: "Could not start Gradle Test Executor 1: Failed to load JUnit Platform"
+
+**Solution:** This should be resolved with the current configuration. If you see this error:
+1. Clean the build: `../gradlew clean`
+2. Rebuild: `../gradlew build`
+
+### Issue: "no main manifest attribute, in /app/apiTest-0.0.999.jar"
+
+**Solution:** This means the Docker build context is wrong. Ensure:
+1. The `docker-compose.yml` has `context: ..` (builds from root directory)
+2. The root project's `bootJar` is built before Docker build
+3. Run: `../gradlew buildRootBootJar` manually if needed
+
+### Issue: Container exits with code 1
+
+**Check application logs:**
+```bash
+# View app container logs
+docker logs apitest-app-1
+
+# Or using docker-compose
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml logs app
+
+# View all container logs
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml logs
+```
+
+**Common causes:**
+- Application configuration errors
+- Database connection issues
+- Missing environment variables
+- Port conflicts
+
+### Issue: Port already in use
+
+**Solution:** Stop any services using the required ports:
+```bash
+# Check what's using port 8082
+lsof -i :8082
+
+# Check what's using port 5432
+lsof -i :5432
+
+# Stop conflicting services or change ports in docker-compose.yml
+```
+
+### Issue: Cannot connect to database
+
+**Solution:**
+- Ensure the database container is healthy: `docker ps` should show "Healthy"
+- Check database logs: `docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml logs db`
+- Verify connection string in `docker-compose.yml` matches database configuration
+
+## Manual Container Management
+
+If you need to manually manage containers:
+
+```bash
+# Start containers without running tests
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d
+
+# Stop containers
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml down
+
+# View container logs
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml logs -f app
+
+# Check container status
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml ps
+
+# Rebuild containers
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml build --no-cache
+```
+
+## Test Configuration
+
+### Environment Variables
+
+Tests use the following default configuration:
+- Application base URL: `http://localhost:8082` (can be overridden with `app.baseUrl` system property)
+- Database: PostgreSQL on port 5432
+- WireMock: Port 9999
+
+### Customizing Test Execution
+
+You can override the application URL:
+```bash
+gradle test -Dapp.baseUrl=http://localhost:8080
+```
+
diff --git a/apiTest/build.gradle b/apiTest/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4d47c69b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apiTest/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+// TODO need to delete duplicate code
+plugins {
+  id 'java'
+  id 'com.avast.gradle.docker-compose' version '0.17.20'
+  id 'io.spring.dependency-management' version '1.1.7'
+}
+
+group = 'uk.gov.hmcts.cp'
+version = System.getProperty('ARTEFACT_VERSION') ?: '0.0.999'
+
+// Disable main source set since this module only has tests
+sourceSets {
+  main {
+    java.srcDirs = []
+    resources.srcDirs = []
+  }
+}
+
+// Disable unnecessary tasks for test-only module
+tasks.named('jar') {
+  enabled = false
+}
+
+tasks.named('compileJava') {
+  enabled = false
+}
+
+tasks.named('processResources') {
+  enabled = false
+}
+
+dependencyManagement {
+  imports {
+    mavenBom "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-dependencies:4.0.1"
+  }
+}
+
+tasks.named('test') {
+  description = "Runs api tests against docker-compose stack"
+  group = "Verification"
+  useJUnitPlatform()
+  dependsOn tasks.composeUp
+  finalizedBy tasks.composeDown
+  
+  testLogging {
+    events "passed", "skipped", "failed"
+    exceptionFormat = 'full'
+    showStandardStreams = true
+  }
+  
+  reports {
+    junitXml.required.set(true)
+    html.required.set(true)
+  }
+}
+
+tasks.named('build') {
+  dependsOn tasks.named('test')
+}
+
+dockerCompose {
+  useComposeFiles = ['docker-compose.yml']
+  startedServices = ['db', 'app']
+
+  buildBeforeUp = true
+  waitForTcpPorts = true
+  upAdditionalArgs = ['--wait', '--wait-timeout', '120']
+
+  captureContainersOutput = true
+  removeOrphans = true
+  stopContainers = true
+  removeContainers = true
+
+  useDockerComposeV2 = true
+  dockerExecutable = 'docker'
+}
+
+// Build the root project's bootJar before building Docker image
+tasks.register('buildRootBootJar', Exec) {
+  description = "Builds the root project's bootJar"
+  workingDir = projectDir.parent
+  executable = "${projectDir.parent}/gradlew"
+  args = ['bootJar']
+}
+
+tasks.named('composeBuild') {
+  dependsOn tasks.named('buildRootBootJar')
+}
+
+dependencies {
+  testImplementation "org.springframework:spring-web"
+  testImplementation "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test"
+  testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher"
+}
+
+repositories {
+  mavenLocal()
+  mavenCentral()
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/apiTest/docker-compose.yml
similarity index 97%
rename from docker-compose.yml
rename to apiTest/docker-compose.yml
index 099b87f8..5bb3522f 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/apiTest/docker-compose.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ services:
 
   app:
     build:
+      context: ..
       dockerfile: Dockerfile
     environment:
       SERVER_PORT: 8082
diff --git a/src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/ActuatorApiTest.java b/apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/ActuatorApiTest.java
similarity index 94%
rename from src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/ActuatorApiTest.java
rename to apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/ActuatorApiTest.java
index 44f6d797..e3725918 100644
--- a/src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/ActuatorApiTest.java
+++ b/apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/ActuatorApiTest.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 class ActuatorApiTest {
 
     private final String baseUrl = System.getProperty("app.baseUrl", "http://localhost:8082");
+    // TODO remove this client and use FeignClient/RestClient
     private final RestTemplate http = new RestTemplate();
 
     @Test
diff --git a/src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/RootApiTest.java b/apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/RootApiTest.java
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/RootApiTest.java
rename to apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/RootApiTest.java
diff --git a/src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/SubscriptionApiTest.java b/apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/SubscriptionApiTest.java
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apiTest/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/SubscriptionApiTest.java
rename to apiTest/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/cp/subscription/http/SubscriptionApiTest.java
diff --git a/apiTest/src/test/resources/__files/material-content.pdf b/apiTest/src/test/resources/__files/material-content.pdf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..94e3be39
Binary files /dev/null and b/apiTest/src/test/resources/__files/material-content.pdf differ
diff --git a/apiTest/src/test/resources/__files/material-response.json b/apiTest/src/test/resources/__files/material-response.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30f20a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apiTest/src/test/resources/__files/material-response.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "materialId": "6c198796-08bb-4803-b456-fa0c29ca6021",
+  "alfrescoAssetId": "82257b1b-571d-432e-8871-b0c5b4bd18b1",
+  "fileName": "PrisonCourtRegister_20251219083322.pdf",
+  "mimeType": "application/pdf",
+  "materialAddedDate": "2025-12-19T08:33:29.866Z"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apiTest/src/test/resources/mappings/material-content-mapping.json b/apiTest/src/test/resources/mappings/material-content-mapping.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..89d431bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apiTest/src/test/resources/mappings/material-content-mapping.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "method": "GET",
+    "url": "/material-query-api/query/api/rest/material/material/7c198796-08bb-4803-b456-fa0c29ca6021/content"
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "status": 200,
+    "headers": {
+      "Content-Type": "application/pdf",
+      "Content-Disposition": "inline; filename=\"material-content.pdf\""
+    },
+    "bodyFileName": "material-content.pdf"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/apiTest/src/test/resources/mappings/material-metadata-mapping.json b/apiTest/src/test/resources/mappings/material-metadata-mapping.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..083403ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apiTest/src/test/resources/mappings/material-metadata-mapping.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "method": "GET",
+    "url": "/material-query-api/query/api/rest/material/material/6c198796-08bb-4803-b456-fa0c29ca6021/metadata"
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "status": 200,
+    "headers": {
+      "Content-Type": "application/json"
+    },
+    "bodyFileName": "material-response.json"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index f2baf3d7..0a2f3e2b 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ plugins {
   id 'com.github.ben-manes.versions' version '0.53.0'
   id 'org.cyclonedx.bom' version '3.1.0'
   id 'com.gorylenko.gradle-git-properties' version '2.5.4'
-  id 'com.avast.gradle.docker-compose' version '0.17.20'
 }
 
 group = 'uk.gov.hmcts.cp'
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ apply {
   from("$rootDir/gradle/github/test.gradle")
   from("$rootDir/gradle/github/jar.gradle")
 
-  from("$rootDir/gradle/tasks/apitest.gradle")
   from("$rootDir/gradle/dependencies/spring-cloud.gradle")
 }
 
diff --git a/gradle/github/jar.gradle b/gradle/github/jar.gradle
index ab1810db..1ab3c102 100644
--- a/gradle/github/jar.gradle
+++ b/gradle/github/jar.gradle
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ bootJar {
   }
 }
 
-tasks.named('composeBuild') {
-  dependsOn tasks.named('bootJar')
-}
-
 tasks.withType(AbstractArchiveTask).configureEach {
   preserveFileTimestamps = false
   reproducibleFileOrder = true
diff --git a/gradle/tasks/apitest.gradle b/gradle/tasks/apitest.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index ba17df22..00000000
--- a/gradle/tasks/apitest.gradle
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-tasks.register('apiTest', Test) {
-  description = "Runs api tests against docker-compose stack"
-  group = "Verification"
-
-  mustRunAfter tasks.named('test')
-
-  testClassesDirs = sourceSets.apiTest.output.classesDirs
-  classpath = sourceSets.apiTest.runtimeClasspath
-  useJUnitPlatform()
-
-  dependsOn tasks.composeUp
-  finalizedBy tasks.composeDown
-}
-
-tasks.named('check') {
-  dependsOn tasks.named('apiTest')
-}
-
-tasks.named('build') {
-  dependsOn tasks.named('test')
-  dependsOn tasks.named('apiTest')
-}
-
-sourceSets {
-  apiTest {
-    java {
-      compileClasspath += sourceSets.main.output
-      runtimeClasspath += sourceSets.main.output
-
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-configurations {
-  apiTestImplementation.extendsFrom testImplementation
-  apiTestRuntimeOnly.extendsFrom testRuntimeOnly
-}
-
-dockerCompose {
-  useComposeFiles = ['docker-compose.yml']
-  startedServices = ['db', 'app']
-
-  buildBeforeUp = true
-  waitForTcpPorts = true
-  upAdditionalArgs = ['--wait', '--wait-timeout', '120']
-
-  captureContainersOutput = true
-  removeOrphans = true
-  stopContainers = true
-  removeContainers = true
-
-  useDockerComposeV2 = true
-  dockerExecutable = 'docker'
-}
\ No newline at end of file