diff --git a/src/vectorpostprocessors/ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C b/src/vectorpostprocessors/ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C
index c1e56a6e..4873915e 100644
--- a/src/vectorpostprocessors/ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C
+++ b/src/vectorpostprocessors/ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor(const InputPara
       _study.getRayDataIndex("v_z")
     }),
     _data_values({
-      &declareVector("id"),
       &declareVector("t_pos"),
       &declareVector("t_vel"),
       &declareVector("x"),
@@ -71,15 +70,16 @@ ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::execute()
   const auto rays = _study.getBankedRays();
   for (const auto & ray : rays)
   {
-    _data_values[0]->push_back(ray->id());
-    _data_values[1]->push_back(_t);
-    _data_values[2]->push_back(_t - _dt / 2);
+    // storing the time at which the particle position is known
+    _data_values[0]->push_back(_t);
+    // storing the time at which the particle velocity is known
+    _data_values[1]->push_back(_t - _dt / 2);
     const auto & point = ray->currentPoint();
-    for (const auto i : make_range(3, 6))
-      _data_values[i]->push_back(point(i - 3));
+    for (const auto i : make_range(2, 5))
+      _data_values[i]->push_back(point(i - 2));
 
-    for (const auto i : make_range(6, int(6 + _ray_data_indices.size())))
-      _data_values[i]->push_back(ray->data(_ray_data_indices[i - 6]));
+    for (const auto i : make_range(5, int(5 + _ray_data_indices.size())))
+      _data_values[i]->push_back(ray->data(_ray_data_indices[i - 5]));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/include/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.h b/test/include/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.h
index 6d782da7..2eae6668 100644
--- a/test/include/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.h
+++ b/test/include/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.h
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ class TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor : public ParticleDataVectorPostprocess
 
   TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor(const InputParameters & parameters);
 
+  /**
+   * adds the ray id to the particle data for sorting results
+   * This will help ensure testability
+   */
+  virtual void execute() override;
   /**
    * In the testing version of this the finalize not only
    * communicates between procs but also sorts the data by ray
diff --git a/test/src/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C b/test/src/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C
index a1dd5b03..34355ace 100644
--- a/test/src/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C
+++ b/test/src/vectorpostprocessors/TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor.C
@@ -20,8 +20,22 @@ TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::validParams()
 }
 
 TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor(const InputParameters & parameters)
-  : ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor(parameters) {}
+  : ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor(parameters) {
+    _data_values.push_back(&declareVector("id"));
+  }
 
+void
+TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::execute()
+{
+  // this does end up looping over the rays twice
+  // but since it will only be for testing this is fine
+  // helps to test the behaviour of the object people will actually
+  // use without requiring it to store meta data that is not important for them.
+  ParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::execute();
+  const auto rays = _study.getBankedRays();
+  for (const auto & ray : rays)
+    _data_values.back()->push_back(ray->id());
+}
 
 void
 TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::finalize()
@@ -38,7 +52,7 @@ TestParticleDataVectorPostprocessor::finalize()
             indicies.end(),
             [&](size_t a, size_t b) -> bool
             {
-              return (*_data_values.front())[a] < (*_data_values.front())[b];
+              return (*_data_values.back())[a] < (*_data_values.back())[b];
             });
 
   for (auto data : _data_values)