diff --git a/.ci/start_mapdl.sh b/.ci/start_mapdl.sh
index f69a2f8dab..cb6453770c 100755
--- a/.ci/start_mapdl.sh
+++ b/.ci/start_mapdl.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,33 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+echo "MAPDL_VERSION: $MAPDL_VERSION"
+
+export MAPDL_IMAGE="$MAPDL_PACKAGE:$MAPDL_VERSION"
+echo "MAPDL_IMAGE:   $MAPDL_IMAGE"
 docker pull "$MAPDL_IMAGE"
+
+export MAJOR=$(echo "$MAPDL_VERSION" | head -c 3 | tail -c 2)
+export MINOR=$(echo "$MAPDL_VERSION" | head -c 5 | tail -c 1)
+
+export VERSION="$MAJOR$MINOR"
+echo "MAPDL VERSION: $VERSION"
+
+
+if [[ $MAPDL_VERSION == *"ubuntu"* ]] ; then
+    echo "It is an ubuntu based image"
+    export EXEC_PATH=/ansys_inc/v$VERSION/ansys/bin/mapdl
+    export P_SCHEMA=/ansys_inc/v$VERSION/ansys/ac4/schema
+
+else
+    echo "It is a CentOS based image"
+    export EXEC_PATH=/ansys_inc/ansys/bin/mapdl
+    export P_SCHEMA=/ansys_inc/ansys/ac4/schema
+fi;
+
+echo "EXEC_PATH: $EXEC_PATH"
+echo "P_SCHEMA: $P_SCHEMA"
+
 docker run \
+    --entrypoint "/bin/bash" \
     --name mapdl \
     --restart always \
     --health-cmd="ps aux | grep \"[/]ansys_inc/.*ansys\.e.*grpc\" -q && echo 0 || echo 1" \
@@ -14,10 +41,11 @@ docker run \
     -p "$PYMAPDL_DB_PORT":50055 \
     --shm-size=1gb \
     -e I_MPI_SHM_LMT=shm \
-    -e P_SCHEMA=/ansys_inc/ansys/ac4/schema \
-    --oom-kill-disable \
-    --memory=6656MB  \
+    -e P_SCHEMA="$P_SCHEMA" \
+    -w /jobs \
+    -u=0:0 \
+    --memory=6656MB \
     --memory-swap=16896MB \
-    "$MAPDL_IMAGE" \
-    -"$DISTRIBUTED_MODE" -np 2 > log.txt &
+    "$MAPDL_IMAGE" "$EXEC_PATH" -grpc -dir /jobs -"$DISTRIBUTED_MODE" -np 2 > log.txt &
+
 grep -q 'Server listening on' <(timeout 60 tail -f log.txt)
diff --git a/.ci/start_mapdl_student.sh b/.ci/start_mapdl_student.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 2c927913b2..0000000000
--- a/.ci/start_mapdl_student.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-docker pull "$MAPDL_IMAGE"
-docker run \
-    --entrypoint "/bin/bash" \
-    --name mapdl \
-    --restart always \
-    -e ANSYS_LOCK="OFF" \
-    -p "$PYMAPDL_PORT":50052 \
-    -p "$PYMAPDL_DB_PORT":50055 \
-    --shm-size=1gb \
-    -e I_MPI_SHM_LMT=shm \
-    -e P_SCHEMA=/ansys_inc/v241/ansys/ac4/schema \
-    -w /jobs \
-    -u=0:0 \
-    --memory=6656MB \
-    --memory-swap=16896MB \
-    "$MAPDL_IMAGE" /ansys_inc/v241/ansys/bin/mapdl -grpc -dir /jobs -"$DISTRIBUTED_MODE" -np 2 > log.txt &
-# grep -q 'Server listening on' <(timeout 60 tail -f log.txt)
diff --git a/.ci/start_mapdl_ubuntu.sh b/.ci/start_mapdl_ubuntu.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 123e4a789c..0000000000
--- a/.ci/start_mapdl_ubuntu.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-docker pull "$MAPDL_IMAGE"
-docker run \
-    --entrypoint "/bin/bash" \
-    --name mapdl \
-    --restart always \
-    --health-cmd="ps aux | grep \"[/]ansys_inc/.*ansys\.e.*grpc\" -q && echo 0 || echo 1" \
-    --health-interval=0.5s \
-    --health-retries=4 \
-    --health-timeout=0.5s \
-    --health-start-period=10s \
-    -e ANSYSLMD_LICENSE_FILE=1055@"$LICENSE_SERVER" \
-    -e ANSYS_LOCK="OFF" \
-    -p "$PYMAPDL_PORT":50052 \
-    -p "$PYMAPDL_DB_PORT":50055 \
-    --shm-size=1gb \
-    -e I_MPI_SHM_LMT=shm \
-    -e P_SCHEMA=/ansys_inc/v222/ansys/ac4/schema \
-    -w /jobs \
-    -u=0:0 \
-    --memory=6656MB \
-    --memory-swap=16896MB \
-    "$MAPDL_IMAGE" /ansys_inc/v222/ansys/bin/mapdl -grpc -dir /jobs -"$DISTRIBUTED_MODE" -np 2 > log.txt &
-grep -q 'Server listening on' <(timeout 60 tail -f log.txt)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9dd8b211a8..7478239ac5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ env:
   PYANSYS_OFF_SCREEN: True
   DPF_START_SERVER: False
   DPF_PORT: 21002
-  DOCKER_PACKAGE: ghcr.io/ansys/mapdl
-  DOCKER_IMAGE_VERSION_DOCS_BUILD: v24.1-ubuntu-student
+  MAPDL_PACKAGE: ghcr.io/ansys/mapdl
+  MAPDL_IMAGE_VERSION_DOCS_BUILD: v24.1-ubuntu-student
   ON_CI: True
   PYTEST_ARGUMENTS: '-vv --durations=10 --maxfail=3 --reruns 3 --reruns-delay 4 --cov=ansys.mapdl.core --cov-report=html'
 
@@ -166,9 +166,10 @@ jobs:
           password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: "Pull, launch, and validate MAPDL service"
-        run: .ci/start_mapdl_student.sh
+        run: .ci/start_mapdl.sh
         env:
-          MAPDL_IMAGE: '${{ env.DOCKER_PACKAGE }}:${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_VERSION_DOCS_BUILD }}'
+          LICENSE_SERVER: ${{ secrets.LICENSE_SERVER }}
+          MAPDL_VERSION: ${{ env.MAPDL_IMAGE_VERSION_DOCS_BUILD }}
           DISTRIBUTED_MODE: "dmp"
 
       - name: "Retrieve PyMAPDL version"
@@ -394,28 +395,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Pull, launch, and validate MAPDL service"
         env:
           LICENSE_SERVER: ${{ secrets.LICENSE_SERVER }}
-        run: |
-          export MAPDL_VERSION=${{ matrix.mapdl-version }}
-          export MAPDL_IMAGE=${{ env.DOCKER_PACKAGE }}:${{ matrix.mapdl-version }}
-          export DISTRIBUTED_MODE=${{ steps.distributed_mode.outputs.distributed_mode }}
-
-          echo "MAPDL_VERSION: $MAPDL_VERSION"
-          echo "MAPDL_IMAGE:   $MAPDL_IMAGE"
-
-          if [[ $MAPDL_VERSION == *"ubuntu-student"* ]] ; then
-            echo "It is student version (ubuntu-based)."
-            echo "No license server is needed."
-            .ci/start_mapdl_student.sh
-
-          elif [[ $MAPDL_VERSION == *"ubuntu"* ]] ; then
-            echo "It is an ubuntu based image"
-            .ci/start_mapdl_ubuntu.sh
-
-          else
-            echo "It is a CentOS based image"
-            .ci/start_mapdl.sh
-
-          fi;
+          MAPDL_VERSION: ${{ matrix.mapdl-version }}
+          DISTRIBUTED_MODE: ${{ steps.distributed_mode.outputs.distributed_mode }}
+        run: .ci/start_mapdl.sh
 
       - name: "Unit testing requirements installation"
         run: |