diff --git a/.github/workflows/contrib-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/contrib-tests.yml
index 25bcef05b71..27a616b7719 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/contrib-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/contrib-tests.yml
@@ -45,15 +45,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install packages and dependencies for RetrieveChat
         run: |
           pip install -e .[retrievechat]
-          pip uninstall -y openai
       - name: Test RetrieveChat
         run: |
-          pytest test/test_retrieve_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py
+          pytest test/test_retrieve_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py --skip-openai
       - name: Coverage
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.10'
         run: |
           pip install coverage>=5.3
-          coverage run -a -m pytest test/test_retrieve_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib
+          coverage run -a -m pytest test/test_retrieve_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py --skip-openai
           coverage xml
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.10'
@@ -82,16 +81,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install packages and dependencies for Compression
         run: |
           pip install -e .
-          pip uninstall -y openai
       - name: Test Compression
         if: matrix.python-version != '3.10'   # diversify the python versions
         run: |
-          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_compressible_agent.py
+          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_compressible_agent.py  --skip-openai
       - name: Coverage
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.10'
         run: |
           pip install coverage>=5.3
-          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_compressible_agent.py
+          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_compressible_agent.py --skip-openai
           coverage xml
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.10'
@@ -120,16 +118,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install packages and dependencies for GPTAssistantAgent
         run: |
           pip install -e .
-          pip uninstall -y openai
       - name: Test GPTAssistantAgent
         if: matrix.python-version != '3.11'  # diversify the python versions
         run: |
-          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py
+          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py --skip-openai
       - name: Coverage
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.11'
         run: |
           pip install coverage>=5.3
-          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py
+          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_gpt_assistant.py --skip-openai
           coverage xml
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.11'
@@ -158,16 +155,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install packages and dependencies for Teachability
         run: |
           pip install -e .[teachable]
-          pip uninstall -y openai
-      - name: Test Teachability
+      - name: Test TeachableAgent
         if: matrix.python-version != '3.9'  # diversify the python versions
         run: |
-          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_teachable_agent.py
+          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_teachable_agent.py --skip-openai
       - name: Coverage
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
         run: |
           pip install coverage>=5.3
-          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_teachable_agent.py
+          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_teachable_agent.py --skip-openai
           coverage xml
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
@@ -196,15 +192,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install packages and dependencies for LMM
         run: |
           pip install -e .[lmm]
-          pip uninstall -y openai
       - name: Test LMM and LLaVA
         run: |
-          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_img_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_lmm.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_llava.py
+          pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_img_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_lmm.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_llava.py --skip-openai
       - name: Coverage
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.10'
         run: |
           pip install coverage>=5.3
-          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_img_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_lmm.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_llava.py
+          coverage run -a -m pytest test/agentchat/contrib/test_img_utils.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_lmm.py test/agentchat/contrib/test_llava.py --skip-openai
           coverage xml
       - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
         if: matrix.python-version == '3.10'
diff --git a/test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py b/test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py
index 1d3c5afd6af..1a18e78a4de 100644
--- a/test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py
+++ b/test/agentchat/contrib/test_qdrant_retrievechat.py
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 from autogen.agentchat.contrib.retrieve_assistant_agent import RetrieveAssistantAgent
 from autogen import config_list_from_json
 
+sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../.."))
+from conftest import skip_openai  # noqa: E402
+
 sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
 from test_assistant_agent import KEY_LOC, OAI_CONFIG_LIST  # noqa: E402
 
@@ -22,17 +25,17 @@
 
 try:
     import openai
-
-    OPENAI_INSTALLED = True
 except ImportError:
-    OPENAI_INSTALLED = False
+    skip = True
+else:
+    skip = False or skip_openai
 
 test_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../..", "test_files")
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or not QDRANT_INSTALLED or not OPENAI_INSTALLED,
-    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows or dependency is not installed",
+    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or not QDRANT_INSTALLED or skip,
+    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows OR dependency is not installed OR requested to skip",
 )
 def test_retrievechat():
     conversations = {}
diff --git a/test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py b/test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py
index 574e3571b62..eeda1dc4891 100644
--- a/test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py
+++ b/test/agentchat/contrib/test_retrievechat.py
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 import sys
 import autogen
 
+sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../.."))
+from conftest import skip_openai  # noqa: E402
+
 sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
 from test_assistant_agent import KEY_LOC, OAI_CONFIG_LIST  # noqa: E402
 
@@ -16,15 +19,15 @@
     )
     import chromadb
     from chromadb.utils import embedding_functions as ef
-
-    skip_test = False
 except ImportError:
-    skip_test = True
+    skip = True
+else:
+    skip = False or skip_openai
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or skip_test,
-    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows or dependency is not installed",
+    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or skip,
+    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows OR dependency is not installed OR requested to skip",
 )
 def test_retrievechat():
     conversations = {}
@@ -69,8 +72,8 @@ def test_retrievechat():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or skip_test,
-    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows or dependency is not installed",
+    sys.platform in ["darwin", "win32"] or skip,
+    reason="do not run on MacOS or windows OR dependency is not installed OR requested to skip",
 )
 def test_retrieve_config(caplog):
     # test warning message when no docs_path is provided