diff --git a/lib/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banner.rb b/lib/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banner.rb
index f95c1ed..2570513 100644
--- a/lib/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banner.rb
+++ b/lib/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banner.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 module GovukWebBanners
   class RecruitmentBanner
+    BANNER_CONFIG_FILE = "../../config/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banners.yml".freeze
+
     def self.for_path(path)
       active_banners.find do |banner|
         return banner if banner.page_paths.include?(path)
@@ -11,8 +13,7 @@ def self.active_banners
     end
 
     def self.all_banners
-      recruitment_banners_urls_file_path = Rails.root.join(__dir__,
-                                                           "../../config/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banners.yml")
+      recruitment_banners_urls_file_path = Rails.root.join(__dir__, BANNER_CONFIG_FILE)
       recruitment_banners_data = YAML.load_file(recruitment_banners_urls_file_path)
       recruitment_banners_data["banners"].map { |attributes| RecruitmentBanner.new(attributes:) }
     end
@@ -25,12 +26,14 @@ def initialize(attributes:)
       @suggestion_link_text = attributes["suggestion_link_text"]
       @survey_url = attributes["survey_url"]
       @page_paths = attributes["page_paths"]
-      @start_date = attributes["start_date"] ? Date.parse(attributes["start_date"]) : Time.zone.at(0)
-      @end_date = attributes["end_date"] ? Date.parse(attributes["end_date"]) : Time.zone.now + 10.years
+      @start_date = attributes["start_date"] ? Time.parse(attributes["start_date"]) : Time.at(0)
+      @end_date = attributes["end_date"] ? Time.parse(attributes["end_date"]) : Time.now + 10.years
     end
 
+    # NB: .between? is inclusive. To make it exclude the end date, we set the end range as
+    #     1 second earlier.
     def active?
-      Time.zone.now.between?(start_date, end_date)
+      Time.zone.now.between?(start_date, end_date - 1.second)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/units/recruitment_banner_spec.rb b/spec/units/recruitment_banner_spec.rb
index 5fc5c0b..bc88c35 100644
--- a/spec/units/recruitment_banner_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/units/recruitment_banner_spec.rb
@@ -1,46 +1,23 @@
 require "govuk_web_banners/test_validators/recruitment_banner"
 
 RSpec.describe GovukWebBanners::RecruitmentBanner do
-  let(:validator_class) { GovukWebBanners::TestValidators::RecruitmentBanner }
-
-  context "live configuration" do
-    it "contains the root banners: key (or banners: [] if there are no entries)" do
-      expect { described_class.all_banners }.not_to raise_error
-    end
-
-    it "does not contain invalid banners" do
-      expect(described_class.all_banners.all? { |banner| validator_class.valid?(banner) }).to eq(true)
-    end
-
-    it "does not contain banners that are past their end date" do
-      expect(described_class.all_banners.all? { |banner| banner.end_date >= Time.zone.now }).to eq(true)
-    end
-
-    it "does not contain banners active at the same time and pointing to the same path" do
-      all_banners = described_class.all_banners
-      expect(all_banners.all? { |banner| validator_class.does_not_include_path_clashes?(banner, all_banners - [banner]) }).to eq(true)
-    end
+  before do
+    original_path = Rails.root.join(__dir__, described_class::BANNER_CONFIG_FILE)
+    allow(YAML).to receive(:load_file).with(original_path).and_return(replacement_file)
   end
 
-  context "test configurations" do
-    before do
-      original_path = Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../config/govuk_web_banners/recruitment_banners.yml")
-      allow(YAML).to receive(:load_file).with(original_path).and_return(replacement_file)
-    end
-
+  describe ".for_path" do
     context "with banners" do
       let(:replacement_file) do
         YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/active_recruitment_banners.yml"))
       end
 
-      describe ".for_path?" do
-        it "returns banner that includes the path" do
-          expect(described_class.for_path("/foreign-travel-advice")).to be_instance_of(GovukWebBanners::RecruitmentBanner)
-        end
+      it "returns banner that includes the path" do
+        expect(described_class.for_path("/foreign-travel-advice")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+      end
 
-        it "returns nil for a path without a banner" do
-          expect(described_class.for_path("/foreign-climbing-advice")).to be_nil
-        end
+      it "returns nil for a path without a banner" do
+        expect(described_class.for_path("/foreign-climbing-advice")).to be_nil
       end
     end
 
@@ -49,88 +26,57 @@
         YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/timed_recruitment_banners.yml"))
       end
 
-      before { travel_to Time.local(2025, 1, 1) }
       after { travel_back }
 
-      describe ".active_banners" do
-        it "returns an array with only banners that are active now" do
-          expect(described_class.active_banners.count).to eq(2)
-          expect(described_class.active_banners.first.name).to eq("Banner that has started and hasn't ended yet")
-          expect(described_class.active_banners.second.name).to eq("Banner that has started and has no end date")
-        end
-      end
+      context "Before timed banners are active" do
+        before { travel_to Time.local(2024, 12, 31) }
 
-      describe ".all_banners" do
-        it "returns an array with all banners in the configuration " do
-          expect(described_class.all_banners.count).to eq(4)
+        it "finds only banners with no start time" do
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-1")).to be_nil
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-2")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-3")).to be_nil
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-4")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
         end
       end
-    end
 
-    context "with broken banners" do
-      let(:replacement_file) do
-        YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/broken_recruitment_banners.yml"))
-      end
+      context "The day banners 1 and 3 become active and banner 2 ends" do
+        before { travel_to Time.local(2025, 1, 1) }
 
-      describe ".all_banners" do
-        it "confirms invalid banners exist" do
-          expect(described_class.all_banners.none? { |banner| validator_class.valid?(banner) }).to eq(true)
+        it "finds only banners active on that date" do
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-1")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-2")).to be_nil
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-3")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-4")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
         end
-      end
-    end
 
-    context "with expired banners" do
-      let(:replacement_file) do
-        YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/expired_recruitment_banners.yml"))
-      end
-
-      describe ".all_banners" do
-        it "detects expired banners" do
-          expect(described_class.all_banners.all? { |banner| banner.end_date >= Time.zone.now }).to eq(false)
+        it "finds the first banner for /page-3" do
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-3").name).to eq("Banner with start and end date")
         end
       end
 
-      describe ".active_banners" do
-        it "does not include expired banners in the active_banners list" do
-          expect(described_class.active_banners.count).to eq(0)
-        end
-      end
-    end
-
-    context "with path clashes" do
-      let(:replacement_file) do
-        YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/path_clash_recruitment_banners.yml"))
-      end
+      context "The day the page-3 banner swaps" do
+        before { travel_to Time.local(2025, 2, 1) }
 
-      describe ".all_banners" do
-        it "detects path clashes" do
-          all_banners = described_class.all_banners
-          expect(all_banners.any? { |banner| validator_class.does_not_include_path_clashes?(banner, all_banners - [banner]) }).to eq(false)
+        it "finds only banners active on that date" do
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-1")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-2")).to be_nil
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-3")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-4")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
         end
-      end
-    end
 
-    context "with identical paths, but not overlapping timess" do
-      let(:replacement_file) do
-        YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/no_path_clash_recruitment_banners.yml"))
-      end
-
-      describe ".all_banners" do
-        it "ignores path clashes that don't overlap in time" do
-          all_banners = described_class.all_banners
-          expect(all_banners.all? { |banner| validator_class.does_not_include_path_clashes?(banner, all_banners - [banner]) }).to eq(true)
+        it "finds the second banner for /page-3" do
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-3").name).to eq("Banner with start and end date abutting previous banner")
         end
       end
-    end
 
-    context "with an empty file" do
-      let(:replacement_file) do
-        YAML.load_file(Rails.root.join(__dir__, "../../spec/fixtures/empty_recruitment_banners.yml"))
-      end
+      context "After all timed banners end" do
+        before { travel_to Time.local(2025, 3, 1) }
 
-      describe ".all_banners" do
-        it "raises an error" do
-          expect { described_class.all_banners }.to raise_error(NoMethodError)
+        it "finds only banners active on that date" do
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-1")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-2")).to be_nil
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-3")).to be_nil
+          expect(described_class.for_path("/page-4")).to be_instance_of(described_class)
         end
       end
     end