diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/3328.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/3328.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1e9f37c9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/3328.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+feat: adding `PYMAPDL_APDL_LOG` env var for testing
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 3a8b253c56..454af0565d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ pymapdl_convert_script = "ansys.mapdl.core.cli:old_pymapdl_convert_script_entry_
 pymapdl = "ansys.mapdl.core.cli:main"
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
+addopts = "-ra -vvv"
 junit_family = "legacy"
 filterwarnings = [
     "ignore::FutureWarning",
diff --git a/src/ansys/mapdl/core/launcher.py b/src/ansys/mapdl/core/launcher.py
index f5ed085fab..3f3bdea4b4 100644
--- a/src/ansys/mapdl/core/launcher.py
+++ b/src/ansys/mapdl/core/launcher.py
@@ -1646,6 +1646,7 @@ def launch_mapdl(
             loglevel=loglevel,
             set_no_abort=set_no_abort,
             use_vtk=use_vtk,
+            log_apdl=log_apdl,
             **start_parm,
         )
         if clear_on_connect:
diff --git a/src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_core.py b/src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_core.py
index 58c0ddb67c..7ad1d2a002 100644
--- a/src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_core.py
+++ b/src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_core.py
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@
 VALID_SELECTION_ENTITY_TP = Literal["VOLU", "AREA", "LINE", "KP", "ELEM", "NODE"]
 
 GUI_FONT_SIZE = 15
+LOG_APDL_DEFAULT_FILE_NAME = "apdl.log"
 
 
 def parse_to_short_cmd(command):
@@ -311,6 +312,9 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._componentmanager: ComponentManager = ComponentManager(self)
 
+        if isinstance(log_apdl, bool) and log_apdl:
+            log_apdl = LOG_APDL_DEFAULT_FILE_NAME
+
         if log_apdl:
             self.open_apdl_log(log_apdl, mode="w")
 
diff --git a/tests/common.py b/tests/common.py
index 1fc5f139b0..91fa9b12b1 100644
--- a/tests/common.py
+++ b/tests/common.py
@@ -137,6 +137,19 @@ def testing_minimal():
     return os.environ.get("TESTING_MINIMAL", "NO").upper().strip() in ["YES", "TRUE"]
 
 
+def log_apdl() -> bool:
+    if "PYMAPDL_LOG_APDL" in os.environ and os.environ.get("PYMAPDL_LOG_APDL", ""):
+        log_apdl = os.environ.get("PYMAPDL_LOG_APDL")
+
+        if log_apdl.lower() in ["true", "false", "yes", "no"]:
+            return log_apdl.lower() in ["true", "yes"]
+        else:
+            return log_apdl
+
+    else:
+        return False
+
+
 def is_float(s: str) -> bool:
     try:
         float(s)
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 8cfaa8095c..5ea5e4e79b 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 # SOFTWARE.
 
 from collections import namedtuple
+from collections.abc import Generator
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 from shutil import get_terminal_size
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 import psutil
 import pytest
 
+from ansys.mapdl.core.launcher import is_ansys_process
 from common import (
     Element,
     Node,
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@
     is_on_ubuntu,
     is_running_on_student,
     is_smp,
+    log_apdl,
     support_plotting,
     testing_minimal,
 )
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@
 HAS_DPF = has_dpf()
 SUPPORT_PLOTTING = support_plotting()
 IS_SMP = is_smp()
+LOG_APDL = log_apdl()
 
 QUICK_LAUNCH_SWITCHES = "-smp -m 100 -db 100"
 VALID_PORTS = []
@@ -121,6 +125,16 @@
 )
 
 
+PROCESS_OK_STATUS = [
+    psutil.STATUS_RUNNING,  #
+    psutil.STATUS_SLEEPING,  #
+    psutil.STATUS_DISK_SLEEP,
+    psutil.STATUS_DEAD,
+    psutil.STATUS_PARKED,  # (Linux)
+    psutil.STATUS_IDLE,  # (Linux, macOS, FreeBSD)
+]
+
+
 def import_module(requirement):
     from importlib import import_module
 
@@ -420,11 +434,41 @@ def running_test():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope="function")
-def run_before_and_after_tests(request, mapdl):
+def run_before_and_after_tests(
+    request: pytest.FixtureRequest, mapdl: Mapdl
+) -> Generator[Mapdl]:
     """Fixture to execute asserts before and after a test is run"""
 
-    # Setup: fill with any logic you want
-    def is_exited(mapdl):
+    # Relaunching MAPDL if dead
+    mapdl = restart_mapdl(mapdl)
+
+    # Write test info to log_apdl
+    if LOG_APDL:
+        log_test_start(mapdl)
+
+    # check if the local/remote state has changed or not
+    prev = mapdl.is_local
+
+    yield  # this is where the testing happens
+
+    assert prev == mapdl.is_local
+
+    make_sure_not_instances_are_left_open()
+
+    # Teardown
+    if mapdl.is_local and mapdl._exited:
+        # The test exited MAPDL, so it has failed.
+        test_name = os.environ.get(
+            "PYTEST_CURRENT_TEST", "**test id could not get retrieved.**"
+        )
+
+        assert (
+            False
+        ), f"Test {test_name} failed at the teardown."  # this will fail the test
+
+
+def restart_mapdl(mapdl: Mapdl) -> Mapdl:
+    def is_exited(mapdl: Mapdl):
         try:
             _ = mapdl._ctrl("VERSION")
             return False
@@ -452,44 +496,43 @@ def is_exited(mapdl):
                 override=True,
                 run_location=mapdl._path,
                 cleanup_on_exit=mapdl._cleanup,
+                log_apdl=LOG_APDL,
             )
 
         # Restoring the local configuration
         mapdl._local = local_
 
-    yield  # this is where the testing happens
+    return mapdl
 
-    # Teardown : fill with any logic you want
-    if mapdl.is_local and mapdl._exited:
-        # The test exited MAPDL, so it is fail.
-        assert False  # this will fail the test
 
+def log_test_start(mapdl: Mapdl) -> None:
+    test_name = os.environ.get(
+        "PYTEST_CURRENT_TEST", "**test id could not get retrieved.**"
+    )
 
-@pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope="function")
-def run_before_and_after_tests_2(request, mapdl):
-    """Make sure we are not changing these properties in tests"""
-    prev = mapdl.is_local
+    mapdl.run("!")
+    mapdl.run(f"! PyMAPDL running test: {test_name}")
+    mapdl.run("!")
 
-    yield
+    # To see it also in MAPDL terminal output
+    if len(test_name) > 75:
+        # terminal output is limited to 75 characters
+        test_name = test_name.split("::")
+        if len(test_name) > 2:
+            types_ = ["File path", "Test class", "Method"]
+        else:
+            types_ = ["File path", "Test function"]
 
-    assert prev == mapdl.is_local
+        mapdl._run("/com,Running test in:", mute=True)
+        for type_, name_ in zip(types_, test_name):
+            mapdl._run(f"/com,    {type_}: {name_}", mute=True)
 
+    else:
+        mapdl._run(f"/com,Running test: {test_name}", mute=True)
 
-@pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope="function")
-def run_before_and_after_tests_3(request, mapdl):
-    """Make sure we leave no MAPDL running behind"""
-    from ansys.mapdl.core.launcher import is_ansys_process
-
-    PROCESS_OK_STATUS = [
-        psutil.STATUS_RUNNING,  #
-        psutil.STATUS_SLEEPING,  #
-        psutil.STATUS_DISK_SLEEP,
-        psutil.STATUS_DEAD,
-        psutil.STATUS_PARKED,  # (Linux)
-        psutil.STATUS_IDLE,  # (Linux, macOS, FreeBSD)
-    ]
 
-    yield
+def make_sure_not_instances_are_left_open() -> None:
+    """Make sure we leave no MAPDL running behind"""
 
     if ON_LOCAL:
         for proc in psutil.process_iter():
@@ -537,7 +580,7 @@ def mapdl_console(request):
             "Valid versions are up to 2020R2."
         )
 
-    mapdl = launch_mapdl(console_path)
+    mapdl = launch_mapdl(console_path, log_apdl=LOG_APDL)
     from ansys.mapdl.core.mapdl_console import MapdlConsole
 
     assert isinstance(mapdl, MapdlConsole)
@@ -568,6 +611,7 @@ def mapdl(request, tmpdir_factory):
         cleanup_on_exit=cleanup,
         license_server_check=False,
         start_timeout=50,
+        log_apdl=LOG_APDL,
     )
     mapdl._show_matplotlib_figures = False  # CI: don't show matplotlib figures
     MAPDL_VERSION = mapdl.version  # Caching version