diff --git a/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py b/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py
index d84df44f41..b45e11e5b4 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py
@@ -1109,21 +1109,12 @@ def test_filter_by_submission_time_and_submitted_by(self):
         self.assertEqual(len(response.data), 2)
 
     def test_filter_by_date_modified(self):
-        # Mock date_created
-        with patch(
-            "django.utils.timezone.now",
-            Mock(return_value=datetime.datetime(2024, 1, 1, tzinfo=timezone.utc)),
-        ):
-            self._make_submissions()
-
-        instance = Instance.objects.create(
-            xform=self.xform,
-            xml='<data id="b"><fruit>mango</fruit></data>',
-        )
+        self._make_submissions()
         view = DataViewSet.as_view({"get": "list"})
         request = self.factory.get("/", **self.extra)
         instances = self.xform.instances.all().order_by("pk")
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 5)
+        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 4)
+        instance = instances[2]
         date_modified = instance.date_modified.isoformat()
         # greater than or equal to
         query_str = '{"_date_modified": {"$gte": "%s"}}' % date_modified
@@ -1131,16 +1122,17 @@ def test_filter_by_date_modified(self):
         request = self.factory.get("/", data=data, **self.extra)
         response = view(request, pk=self.xform.pk)
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
-        self.assertEqual(len(response.data), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(response.data[0]["_id"], instance.pk)
+        self.assertEqual(len(response.data), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(response.data[0]["_id"], instances[2].pk)
+        self.assertEqual(response.data[1]["_id"], instances[3].pk)
         # greater than
-        date_modified = instance.date_modified.isoformat()
         query_str = '{"_date_modified": {"$gt": "%s"}}' % date_modified
         data = {"query": query_str}
         request = self.factory.get("/", data=data, **self.extra)
         response = view(request, pk=self.xform.pk)
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
-        self.assertEqual(len(response.data), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(len(response.data), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(response.data[0]["_id"], instances[3].pk)
 
     def test_filter_by_submission_time_and_submitted_by_with_data_arg(self):
         self._make_submissions()