diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index ebac87dd..84a21537 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ group :development, :test do
   gem 'thin'
   gem 'letter_opener'
   gem 'rspec-rails', '~> 3.0.0.beta'
-  gem 'capybara', '1.1.2'
+  gem 'capybara'
   gem 'rdoc-generator-fivefish'
+  gem 'factory_girl_rails'
 end
 
 group :production do
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index f6e27b37..d95d51b8 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -52,15 +52,12 @@ GEM
       sass (~> 3.2)
     builder (3.0.4)
     cancan (1.6.10)
-    capybara (1.1.2)
+    capybara (2.2.1)
       mime-types (>= 1.16)
       nokogiri (>= 1.3.3)
       rack (>= 1.0.0)
       rack-test (>= 0.5.4)
-      selenium-webdriver (~> 2.0)
-      xpath (~> 0.1.4)
-    childprocess (0.5.1)
-      ffi (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.11)
+      xpath (~> 2.0)
     climate_control (0.0.3)
       activesupport (>= 3.0)
     cocaine (0.5.3)
@@ -80,7 +77,11 @@ GEM
     erubis (2.7.0)
     eventmachine (1.0.3)
     execjs (2.0.2)
-    ffi (1.9.3)
+    factory_girl (4.4.0)
+      activesupport (>= 3.0.0)
+    factory_girl_rails (4.4.1)
+      factory_girl (~> 4.4.0)
+      railties (>= 3.0.0)
     formtastic (2.2.1)
       actionpack (>= 3.0)
     formtastic-bootstrap (3.0.0)
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ GEM
       treetop (~> 1.4.8)
     method_source (0.8.2)
     mime-types (1.25.1)
-    mini_portile (0.5.2)
+    mini_portile (0.5.3)
     multi_json (1.9.2)
     mysql2 (0.3.15)
     nokogiri (1.6.1)
@@ -196,11 +197,6 @@ GEM
       railties (~> 3.2.0)
       sass (>= 3.1.10)
       tilt (~> 1.3)
-    selenium-webdriver (2.40.0)
-      childprocess (>= 0.5.0)
-      multi_json (~> 1.0)
-      rubyzip (~> 1.0)
-      websocket (~> 1.0.4)
     slop (3.4.7)
     sprockets (2.2.2)
       hike (~> 1.2)
@@ -230,9 +226,8 @@ GEM
       json (>= 1.8.0)
     warden (1.2.3)
       rack (>= 1.0)
-    websocket (1.0.7)
     will_paginate (3.0.5)
-    xpath (0.1.4)
+    xpath (2.0.0)
       nokogiri (~> 1.3)
     yajl-ruby (1.2.0)
 
@@ -246,10 +241,11 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   bcrypt-ruby (~> 3.0.0)
   bootstrap-sass
   cancan
-  capybara (= 1.1.2)
+  capybara
   cocoon
   d3_rails
   devise
+  factory_girl_rails
   formtastic-bootstrap
   gravtastic
   haml
diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/callforpapers_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/callforpapers_controller.rb
index 74eaaf2e..910b273e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/callforpapers_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/callforpapers_controller.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class Admin::CallforpapersController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def create
-    @cfp = CallForPapers.new(params[:call_for_papers])
+    @cfp = CallForPapers.new(params[:call_for_papers]) 
     @conference.call_for_papers = @cfp
     if @cfp.save
       redirect_to(admin_conference_cfp_info_path(:id => @conference.short_title), :notice => 'Call for Papers was successfully updated.')
diff --git a/app/models/conference.rb b/app/models/conference.rb
index 785068de..543d0e82 100644
--- a/app/models/conference.rb
+++ b/app/models/conference.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
                   :start_date, :end_date, :rooms_attributes, :tracks_attributes, :dietary_choices_attributes,
                   :use_dietary_choices, :use_supporter_levels, :supporter_levels_attributes, :social_events_attributes,
                   :event_types_attributes, :registration_start_date, :registration_end_date, :logo,
-		  :questions_attributes, :question_ids, :answers_attributes, :answer_ids,
+		              :questions_attributes, :question_ids, :answers_attributes, :answer_ids,
                   :difficulty_levels_attributes, :use_difficulty_levels,
                   :use_vpositions, :use_vdays, :vdays_attributes, :vpositions_attributes, :use_volunteers
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
   # * +true+ -> If today is in the registration period.
   def registration_open?
     today = Date.current
-    if self.registration_start_date.nil? || self.registration_end_date.nil?
+    if self.registration_start_date.blank? ||  self.registration_end_date.blank?
       false
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/factories/call_for_papers.rb b/spec/factories/call_for_papers.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9da6c7fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/factories/call_for_papers.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Read about factories at https://github.com/thoughtbot/factory_girl
+
+FactoryGirl.define do
+  factory :call_for_papers do
+      start_date Date.today - 1
+      end_date Date.today + 7
+      hard_deadline Date.today + 8
+      description "We call for papers"
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/factories/conferences.rb b/spec/factories/conferences.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1366fb65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/factories/conferences.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Read about factories at https://github.com/thoughtbot/factory_girl
+
+FactoryGirl.define do
+  factory :conference do
+	title "The dog and pony show"
+	short_title "dps14"
+	social_tag "dps14"
+	timezone "Amsterdam"
+	contact_email "admin@example.com"
+	start_date Date.today
+	end_date Date.tomorrow
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/factories/users.rb b/spec/factories/users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0334d49e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/factories/users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Read about factories at https://github.com/thoughtbot/factory_girl
+
+FactoryGirl.define do
+  factory :user do
+    email 'example@example.com'
+    password 'changeme'
+    password_confirmation 'changeme'
+    confirmed_at Time.now
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/conference_spec.rb b/spec/models/conference_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..88d91e96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/conference_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Conference do
+  before do
+    @conference = create(:conference)
+  end
+  
+
+  describe "#registration_open?" do
+  	context "closed registration" do
+  	  it "#registration_open? is false" do
+  	    expect(@conference.registration_open?).to be false
+      end
+  	end
+
+  	context "open registration" do
+  	  before do
+    	@conference.registration_start_date = Date.today - 1
+    	@conference.registration_end_date = Date.today + 7
+  	  end
+  	  it "#registration_open? is true" do
+  		expect(@conference.registration_open?).to be true
+  	  end
+  	end
+  end
+
+  describe "#cfp_open?" do
+  	context "closed cfp" do
+  	  it "#cfp_open? is false" do
+  	    expect(@conference.cfp_open?).to be false
+      end
+  	end
+
+  	context "open cfp" do
+  	  before do
+  	  	@cfp = create(:call_for_papers)
+  	  	@conference.call_for_papers = @cfp
+  	  end
+  	  it "#registration_open? is true" do
+  		expect(@conference.cfp_open?).to be true
+  	  end
+  	end
+  end
+
+  describe "#user_registered?" do
+  	before do
+  		@user = create(:user)
+  	end
+  	context "user not registered" do
+  	  it "#user_registered? is false" do
+  	    expect(@conference.user_registered? @user).to be false
+      end
+  	end
+
+  	context "user registered" do
+  	  pending "isn't tested yet"
+  	end
+  end
+ 
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 202b40eb..14c12c19 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -34,4 +34,12 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
   # the seed, which is printed after each run.
   #     --seed 1234
   config.order = "random"
+
+  # Include factory_girls syntax
+  config.include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
+  
+  # As we start from scratch in April 2014, let's forbid the old :should syntax
+  config.expect_with :rspec do |c|
+    c.syntax = :expect
+  end 
 end
diff --git a/spec/support/factory_girl.rb b/spec/support/factory_girl.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..031f2a19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/factory_girl.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+
+  config.before(:suite) do
+    FactoryGirl.lint
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/spec/support/seeds.rb b/spec/support/seeds.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..41e58998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/seeds.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+
+  config.before(:suite) do
+    load "#{Rails.root}/db/seeds.rb" 
+  end
+
+end