diff --git a/app/api/api_v1/endpoints/test_run_executions.py b/app/api/api_v1/endpoints/test_run_executions.py
index d992fe7a..4926b68d 100644
--- a/app/api/api_v1/endpoints/test_run_executions.py
+++ b/app/api/api_v1/endpoints/test_run_executions.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def start_test_run_execution(
 
     if len(test_run_execution.project.pics.clusters) == 0:
         raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND, detail="No PICS were informed"
+            status_code=HTTPStatus.UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY, detail="No PICS were informed."
         )
 
     test_runner = TestRunner()
diff --git a/app/tests/api/api_v1/test_test_run_executions.py b/app/tests/api/api_v1/test_test_run_executions.py
index cba0091f..ea798a19 100644
--- a/app/tests/api/api_v1/test_test_run_executions.py
+++ b/app/tests/api/api_v1/test_test_run_executions.py
@@ -796,6 +796,25 @@ async def test_test_run_execution_start(async_client: AsyncClient, db: Session)
     assert content["id"] == test_run_execution.id
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_test_run_execution_start_no_pics(
+    async_client: AsyncClient, db: Session
+) -> None:
+    test_run_execution = create_test_run_execution_with_some_test_cases(db=db, pics={})
+
+    # First attempt to start test run
+    response = await async_client.post(
+        f"{settings.API_V1_STR}/test_run_executions/{test_run_execution.id}/start",
+    )
+
+    # Assert 200 OK and that test run data is returned
+    assert response.status_code == HTTPStatus.UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY
+    content = response.json()
+    assert isinstance(content, dict)
+    assert "detail" in content.keys()
+    assert content["detail"] == "No PICS were informed."
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_test_run_execution_busy(async_client: AsyncClient, db: Session) -> None:
     test_run_execution = create_test_run_execution_with_some_test_cases(db=db)
diff --git a/app/tests/utils/test_run_execution.py b/app/tests/utils/test_run_execution.py
index e0e76123..77022417 100644
--- a/app/tests/utils/test_run_execution.py
+++ b/app/tests/utils/test_run_execution.py
@@ -23,11 +23,21 @@
 from app.models import TestRunExecution
 from app.models.test_enums import TestStateEnum
 from app.schemas import TestSelection
+from app.schemas.pics import PICS
 from app.schemas.test_run_execution import TestRunExecutionCreate
 from app.tests.utils.project import create_random_project
 
 fake = Faker()
 
+default_pics = {
+    "clusters": {
+        "Access Control cluster": {
+            "name": "Access Control cluster",
+            "items": {"ACL.S": {"number": "ACL.S", "enabled": True}},
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 
 def random_test_run_execution_dict(
     state: Optional[TestStateEnum] = None,
@@ -85,12 +95,15 @@ def create_random_test_run_execution_archived(
 
 
 def create_random_test_run_execution(
-    db: Session, selected_tests: Optional[TestSelection] = {}, **kwargs: Any
+    db: Session,
+    selected_tests: Optional[TestSelection] = {},
+    pics: Optional[PICS] = PICS(),
+    **kwargs: Any
 ) -> models.TestRunExecution:
     test_run_execution_dict = random_test_run_execution_dict(**kwargs)
 
     if test_run_execution_dict.get("project_id") is None:
-        project = create_random_project(db, config={})
+        project = create_random_project(db, config={}, pics=pics)
         test_run_execution_dict["project_id"] = project.id
 
     test_run_execution_in = TestRunExecutionCreate(**test_run_execution_dict)
@@ -110,7 +123,7 @@ def create_random_test_run_execution_with_test_case_states(
         "sample_tests": {"SampleTestSuite1": {"TCSS1001": num_test_cases}}
     }
     test_run_execution = create_random_test_run_execution(
-        db=db, selected_tests=selected_tests
+        db=db, selected_tests=selected_tests, pics=default_pics
     )
 
     test_suite_execution = test_run_execution.test_suite_executions[0]
@@ -128,7 +141,7 @@ def create_random_test_run_execution_with_test_case_states(
 
 
 def create_test_run_execution_with_some_test_cases(
-    db: Session, **kwargs: Any
+    db: Session, pics: Optional[PICS] = default_pics, **kwargs: Any
 ) -> TestRunExecution:
     return create_random_test_run_execution(
         db=db,
@@ -137,6 +150,7 @@ def create_test_run_execution_with_some_test_cases(
                 "SampleTestSuite1": {"TCSS1001": 1, "TCSS1002": 2, "TCSS1003": 3}
             }
         },
+        pics=pics,
         **kwargs
     )