diff --git a/course/tests/externallib_test.php b/course/tests/externallib_test.php
index 08f8b4ac91e..984b9ed3588 100644
--- a/course/tests/externallib_test.php
+++ b/course/tests/externallib_test.php
@@ -165,20 +165,28 @@ class core_course_external_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         global $DB;
 
         $this->resetAfterTest(true);
+
+        $generatedcats = array();
         $category1data['idnumber'] = 'idnumbercat1';
         $category1data['name'] = 'Category 1 for PHPunit test';
         $category1data['description'] = 'Category 1 description';
         $category1data['descriptionformat'] = FORMAT_MOODLE;
         $category1  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category($category1data);
+        $generatedcats[$category1->id] = $category1;
         $category2  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category(
                 array('parent' => $category1->id));
+        $generatedcats[$category2->id] = $category2;
         $category6  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category(
                 array('parent' => $category1->id, 'visible' => 0));
+        $generatedcats[$category6->id] = $category6;
         $category3  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category();
+        $generatedcats[$category3->id] = $category3;
         $category4  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category(
                 array('parent' => $category3->id));
+        $generatedcats[$category4->id] = $category4;
         $category5  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_category(
                 array('parent' => $category4->id));
+        $generatedcats[$category5->id] = $category5;
 
         // Set the required capabilities by the external function.
         $context = context_system::instance();
@@ -193,11 +201,13 @@ class core_course_external_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals(2, count($categories));
 
         // Check the return values
-        $this->assertEquals($categories[0]['id'], $category1->id);
-        $this->assertEquals($categories[0]['idnumber'], $category1->idnumber);
-        $this->assertEquals($categories[0]['name'], $category1->name);
-        $this->assertEquals($categories[0]['description'], $category1->description);
-        $this->assertEquals($categories[0]['descriptionformat'], FORMAT_HTML);
+        foreach ($categories as $category) {
+            $generatedcat = $generatedcats[$category['id']];
+            $this->assertEquals($category['idnumber'], $generatedcat->idnumber);
+            $this->assertEquals($category['name'], $generatedcat->name);
+            $this->assertEquals($category['description'], $generatedcat->description);
+            $this->assertEquals($category['descriptionformat'], FORMAT_HTML);
+        }
 
         // Check different params.
         $categories = core_course_external::get_categories(array(
@@ -440,13 +450,17 @@ class core_course_external_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
 
         $this->resetAfterTest(true);
 
+        $generatedcourses = array();
         $coursedata['idnumber'] = 'idnumbercourse1';
         $coursedata['fullname'] = 'Course 1 for PHPunit test';
         $coursedata['summary'] = 'Course 1 description';
         $coursedata['summaryformat'] = FORMAT_MOODLE;
         $course1  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_course($coursedata);
+        $generatedcourses[$course1->id] = $course1;
         $course2  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_course();
+        $generatedcourses[$course2->id] = $course2;
         $course3  = self::getDataGenerator()->create_course();
+        $generatedcourses[$course3->id] = $course3;
 
         // Set the required capabilities by the external function.
         $context = context_system::instance();
@@ -464,33 +478,33 @@ class core_course_external_testcase extends externallib_advanced_testcase {
         // Check we retrieve the good total number of categories.
         $this->assertEquals(2, count($courses));
 
-        // Check the return values for course 1
-        $dbcourse = $DB->get_record('course', array('id' => $course1->id));
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['id'], $dbcourse->id);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['idnumber'], $coursedata['idnumber']);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['fullname'], $coursedata['fullname']);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['summary'], $coursedata['summary']);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['summaryformat'], FORMAT_HTML);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['shortname'], $dbcourse->shortname);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['categoryid'], $dbcourse->category);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['format'], $dbcourse->format);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['showgrades'], $dbcourse->showgrades);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['newsitems'], $dbcourse->newsitems);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['startdate'], $dbcourse->startdate);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['numsections'], $dbcourse->numsections);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['maxbytes'], $dbcourse->maxbytes);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['showreports'], $dbcourse->showreports);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['visible'], $dbcourse->visible);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['hiddensections'], $dbcourse->hiddensections);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['groupmode'], $dbcourse->groupmode);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['groupmodeforce'], $dbcourse->groupmodeforce);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['defaultgroupingid'], $dbcourse->defaultgroupingid);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['completionnotify'], $dbcourse->completionnotify);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['lang'], $dbcourse->lang);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['forcetheme'], $dbcourse->theme);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['completionstartonenrol'], $dbcourse->completionstartonenrol);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['enablecompletion'], $dbcourse->enablecompletion);
-        $this->assertEquals($courses[0]['completionstartonenrol'], $dbcourse->completionstartonenrol);
+        foreach ($courses as $course) {
+            $dbcourse = $generatedcourses[$course['id']];
+            $this->assertEquals($course['idnumber'], $dbcourse->idnumber);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['fullname'], $dbcourse->fullname);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['summary'], $dbcourse->summary);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['summaryformat'], FORMAT_HTML);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['shortname'], $dbcourse->shortname);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['categoryid'], $dbcourse->category);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['format'], $dbcourse->format);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['showgrades'], $dbcourse->showgrades);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['newsitems'], $dbcourse->newsitems);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['startdate'], $dbcourse->startdate);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['numsections'], $dbcourse->numsections);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['maxbytes'], $dbcourse->maxbytes);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['showreports'], $dbcourse->showreports);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['visible'], $dbcourse->visible);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['hiddensections'], $dbcourse->hiddensections);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['groupmode'], $dbcourse->groupmode);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['groupmodeforce'], $dbcourse->groupmodeforce);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['defaultgroupingid'], $dbcourse->defaultgroupingid);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['completionnotify'], $dbcourse->completionnotify);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['lang'], $dbcourse->lang);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['forcetheme'], $dbcourse->theme);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['completionstartonenrol'], $dbcourse->completionstartonenrol);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['enablecompletion'], $dbcourse->enablecompletion);
+            $this->assertEquals($course['completionstartonenrol'], $dbcourse->completionstartonenrol);
+        }
 
         // Get all courses in the DB
         $courses = core_course_external::get_courses(array());