diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2ecb650c..2707f163 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ if(NOT DEFINED PYNGL_ONLY)
         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/MessageTests.cpp
         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/NGLStreamTest.cpp
         ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/TextureTests.cpp
+        ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/VAOFactoryTests.cpp
         
     )
     add_compile_definitions(GLM_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL)
diff --git a/include/ngl/VAOFactory.h b/include/ngl/VAOFactory.h
index 1cb5a314..d037ba00 100644
--- a/include/ngl/VAOFactory.h
+++ b/include/ngl/VAOFactory.h
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@ class NGL_DLLEXPORT VAOFactory
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   /// @brief debug function to list all creators
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  static void listCreators();
+  static void listCreators()  noexcept;
 
-    private:
+  static size_t getNumCreators()  noexcept {return m_vaoCreators.size();}
+
+  private:
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   static std::unordered_map< std::string, std::function< std::unique_ptr< AbstractVAO >(GLenum _mode) > > m_vaoCreators;
diff --git a/src/VAOFactory.cpp b/src/VAOFactory.cpp
index e089ee41..000a550f 100644
--- a/src/VAOFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/VAOFactory.cpp
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ void VAOFactory::unregisterVAOCreator(std::string_view _type)
 std::unique_ptr< AbstractVAO > VAOFactory::createVAO(std::string_view _type, GLenum _mode)
 {
 
-  auto it = m_vaoCreators.find(_type.data());
-  if(it != m_vaoCreators.end())
+  
+  if(auto it = m_vaoCreators.find(_type.data()); it != m_vaoCreators.end())
   {
     // call the creation callback to construct this derived type
     return it->second(_mode);
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ std::unique_ptr< AbstractVAO > VAOFactory::createVAO(std::string_view _type, GLe
   return nullptr;
 }
 
-void VAOFactory::listCreators()
+void VAOFactory::listCreators()  noexcept
 {
   NGLMessage::addMessage("******************************\n", Colours::WHITE, TimeFormat::NONE);
   NGLMessage::addMessage("VAOFactory Creators List ", Colours::WHITE, TimeFormat::NONE);
diff --git a/tests/main.cpp b/tests/main.cpp
index 7307d402..6deed068 100644
--- a/tests/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/main.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   if(useOpenGL == false)
   {
     std::cerr << "excluding tests\n";
-    ::testing::GTEST_FLAG(filter) = "-ShaderLib.*:VAOPrimitives.*:NGLInit*";
+    ::testing::GTEST_FLAG(filter) = "-ShaderLib.*:VAOPrimitives.*:NGLInit*:VAOFactory*";
   }
   // testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
   testing::internal::CaptureStderr();