diff --git a/backend/src/config.ts b/backend/src/config.ts
index 9b4702b5..9b209ada 100644
--- a/backend/src/config.ts
+++ b/backend/src/config.ts
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ export const DWENGO_API_BASE = getEnvVar(envVars.LearningContentRepoApiBaseUrl);
 export const FALLBACK_LANG = getEnvVar(envVars.FallbackLanguage);
 
 export const FALLBACK_SEQ_NUM = 1;
+export const FALLBACK_VERSION_NUM = 1;
diff --git a/backend/src/controllers/questions.ts b/backend/src/controllers/questions.ts
index b5b764ac..a4a6a76d 100644
--- a/backend/src/controllers/questions.ts
+++ b/backend/src/controllers/questions.ts
@@ -1,34 +1,20 @@
 import { Request, Response } from 'express';
 import { createQuestion, deleteQuestion, getAllQuestions, getAnswersByQuestion, getQuestion } from '../services/questions.js';
-import { FALLBACK_LANG, FALLBACK_SEQ_NUM } from '../config.js';
+import {FALLBACK_LANG, FALLBACK_SEQ_NUM, FALLBACK_VERSION_NUM} from '../config.js';
 import { LearningObjectIdentifier } from '../entities/content/learning-object-identifier.js';
 import { QuestionDTO, QuestionId } from '@dwengo-1/common/interfaces/question';
 import { Language } from '@dwengo-1/common/util/language';
+import {requireFields} from "./error-helper";
 
-function getObjectId(req: Request, res: Response): LearningObjectIdentifier | null {
-    const { hruid, version } = req.params;
-    const lang = req.query.lang;
-
-    if (!hruid || !version) {
-        res.status(400).json({ error: 'Missing required parameters.' });
-        return null;
-    }
-
+function getLearningObjectId(hruid: string, version: string, lang: string): LearningObjectIdentifier {
     return {
         hruid,
-        language: (lang as Language) || FALLBACK_LANG,
-        version: Number(version),
+        language: (lang || FALLBACK_LANG) as Language,
+        version: Number(version) || FALLBACK_VERSION_NUM,
     };
 }
 
-function getQuestionId(req: Request, res: Response): QuestionId | null {
-    const seq = req.params.seq;
-    const learningObjectIdentifier = getObjectId(req, res);
-
-    if (!learningObjectIdentifier) {
-        return null;
-    }
-
+function getQuestionId(learningObjectIdentifier: LearningObjectIdentifier, seq: string): QuestionId {
     return {
         learningObjectIdentifier,
         sequenceNumber: seq ? Number(seq) : FALLBACK_SEQ_NUM,
@@ -36,84 +22,76 @@ function getQuestionId(req: Request, res: Response): QuestionId | null {
 }
 
 export async function getAllQuestionsHandler(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
-    const objectId = getObjectId(req, res);
+    const hruid = req.params.hruid;
+    const version = req.params.version;
+    const language = req.query.lang as string;
     const full = req.query.full === 'true';
+    requireFields({ hruid })
 
-    if (!objectId) {
-        return;
-    }
+    const learningObjectId = getLearningObjectId(hruid, version, language);
 
-    const questions = await getAllQuestions(objectId, full);
+    const questions = await getAllQuestions(learningObjectId, full);
 
-    if (!questions) {
-        res.status(404).json({ error: `Questions not found.` });
-    } else {
-        res.json({ questions: questions });
-    }
+    res.json({ questions });
 }
 
 export async function getQuestionHandler(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
-    const questionId = getQuestionId(req, res);
+    const hruid = req.params.hruid;
+    const version = req.params.version;
+    const language = req.query.lang as string;
+    const seq = req.params.seq;
+    requireFields({ hruid })
 
-    if (!questionId) {
-        return;
-    }
+    const learningObjectId = getLearningObjectId(hruid, version, language);
+    const questionId = getQuestionId(learningObjectId, seq);
 
     const question = await getQuestion(questionId);
 
-    if (!question) {
-        res.status(404).json({ error: `Question not found.` });
-    } else {
-        res.json(question);
-    }
+    res.json({ question });
+
 }
 
 export async function getQuestionAnswersHandler(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
-    const questionId = getQuestionId(req, res);
+    const hruid = req.params.hruid;
+    const version = req.params.version;
+    const language = req.query.lang as string;
+    const seq = req.params.seq;
     const full = req.query.full === 'true';
+    requireFields({ hruid })
 
-    if (!questionId) {
-        return;
-    }
+    const learningObjectId = getLearningObjectId(hruid, version, language);
+    const questionId = getQuestionId(learningObjectId, seq);
 
     const answers = await getAnswersByQuestion(questionId, full);
 
-    if (!answers) {
-        res.status(404).json({ error: `Questions not found` });
-    } else {
-        res.json({ answers: answers });
-    }
+    res.json({ answers });
 }
 
 export async function createQuestionHandler(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
-    const questionDTO = req.body as QuestionDTO;
+    const learningObjectIdentifier = req.body.learningObjectIdentifier;
+    const author = req.body.author;
+    const content = req.body.content;
+    requireFields({ learningObjectIdentifier, author, content });
 
-    if (!questionDTO.learningObjectIdentifier || !questionDTO.author || !questionDTO.content) {
-        res.status(400).json({ error: 'Missing required fields: identifier and content' });
-        return;
-    }
+    const questionDTO = req.body as QuestionDTO;
 
     const question = await createQuestion(questionDTO);
 
-    if (!question) {
-        res.status(400).json({ error: 'Could not create question' });
-    } else {
-        res.json(question);
-    }
+    res.json({ question });
+
 }
 
 export async function deleteQuestionHandler(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
-    const questionId = getQuestionId(req, res);
+    const hruid = req.params.hruid;
+    const version = req.params.version;
+    const language = req.query.lang as string;
+    const seq = req.params.seq;
+    requireFields({ hruid })
 
-    if (!questionId) {
-        return;
-    }
+    const learningObjectId = getLearningObjectId(hruid, version, language);
+    const questionId = getQuestionId(learningObjectId, seq);
 
     const question = await deleteQuestion(questionId);
 
-    if (!question) {
-        res.status(400).json({ error: 'Could not find nor delete question' });
-    } else {
-        res.json(question);
-    }
+    res.json({ question });
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/services/questions.ts b/backend/src/services/questions.ts
index d983c3be..be361085 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/questions.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/questions.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ import { Answer } from '../entities/questions/answer.entity.js';
 import { mapToAnswerDTO, mapToAnswerDTOId } from '../interfaces/answer.js';
 import { QuestionRepository } from '../data/questions/question-repository.js';
 import { LearningObjectIdentifier } from '../entities/content/learning-object-identifier.js';
-import {mapToStudent, mapToStudentDTO} from '../interfaces/student.js';
 import { QuestionDTO, QuestionId } from '@dwengo-1/common/interfaces/question';
 import { AnswerDTO, AnswerId } from '@dwengo-1/common/interfaces/answer';
 import {NotFoundException} from "../exceptions/not-found-exception";
 import {fetchStudent} from "./students";
-import {Student} from "../entities/users/student.entity";
 
 export async function getAllQuestions(id: LearningObjectIdentifier, full: boolean): Promise<QuestionDTO[] | QuestionId[]> {
     const questionRepository: QuestionRepository = getQuestionRepository();
@@ -57,13 +55,7 @@ export async function getAnswersByQuestion(questionId: QuestionId, full: boolean
 
 export async function createQuestion(questionDTO: QuestionDTO): Promise<QuestionDTO | null> {
     const questionRepository = getQuestionRepository();
-    let author: Student;
-    if (typeof questionDTO.author === "string" ){
-        author = await fetchStudent(questionDTO.author);
-    } else {
-        author = mapToStudent(questionDTO.author)
-    }
-
+    const author = await fetchStudent(questionDTO.author);
 
     await questionRepository.createQuestion({
         loId: mapToLearningObjectID(questionDTO.learningObjectIdentifier),
@@ -71,7 +63,6 @@ export async function createQuestion(questionDTO: QuestionDTO): Promise<Question
         content: questionDTO.content,
     });
 
-
     return questionDTO;
 }
 
@@ -80,20 +71,11 @@ export async function deleteQuestion(questionId: QuestionId): Promise<QuestionDT
 
     const question = await fetchQuestion(questionId);
 
-    if (!question) {
-        return null;
-    }
-
     const loId: LearningObjectIdentifier = {
         ...questionId.learningObjectIdentifier,
         version: questionId.learningObjectIdentifier.version ?? 1,
     };
 
-    try {
-        await questionRepository.removeQuestionByLearningObjectAndSequenceNumber(loId, questionId.sequenceNumber);
-    } catch (_) {
-        return null;
-    }
-
+    await questionRepository.removeQuestionByLearningObjectAndSequenceNumber(loId, questionId.sequenceNumber);
     return mapToQuestionDTO(question);
 }
diff --git a/common/src/interfaces/question.ts b/common/src/interfaces/question.ts
index 3f24480a..88e9c7b8 100644
--- a/common/src/interfaces/question.ts
+++ b/common/src/interfaces/question.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { StudentDTO } from './student';
 export interface QuestionDTO {
     learningObjectIdentifier: LearningObjectIdentifierDTO;
     sequenceNumber?: number;
-    author: StudentDTO | string;
+    author: string;
     timestamp?: string;
     content: string;
 }