Works! thanks @rdeutz
tested in local as well

 [Testing\Codecept] Executing vendor/bin/codecept run --steps --debug tests/acceptance/administrator/AdministratorCategoriesCest.php
Codeception PHP Testing Framework v2.1.3
Powered by PHPUnit 4.8.16 by Sebastian Bergmann and contributors.

Acceptance Tests (4) -----------------------------------------------------------
Modules: JoomlaBrowser, AcceptanceHelper
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Test Category  (AdministratorCategoriesCest::administratorCreateCategory)
Scenario:
* As an Administrator
* I do administrator login 

  I open Joomla Administrator Login Page
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php
  Fill Username Text Field
  Fill Password Text Field
  I click Login button
  I wait to see Administrator Control Panel
* I am going to Navigate to Categories page in /administrator/
* I am on page "administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks"
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to see categories page
* I check for php notices or warnings 
* I am going to try to save a category with a filled title
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.add')"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: New Category","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I fill field {"id":"jform_title"},"automated testing23"
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.apply')"]"}
* I expect to see a success message after saving the category
* I see "Category successfully saved",{"id":"system-message-container"}
 PASSED 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Test Category creation in /administrator/ without ti (AdministratorCategoriesCest::administratorCreateCategoryWithoutTitleFails)
Scenario:
* As an Administrator
* I do administrator login 

  I open Joomla Administrator Login Page
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php
  Fill Username Text Field
  Fill Password Text Field
  I click Login button
  I wait to see Administrator Control Panel
* I am going to Navigate to Categories page in /administrator/
* I am on page "administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks"
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to see categories page
* I am going to try to save a category with empty title and it should fail
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.add')"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: New Category","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.apply')"]"}
* I expect to see an error when trying to save a category without title
* I see "Invalid field:  Title",{"id":"system-message-container"}
 PASSED 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Test Category (AdministratorCategoriesCest::administratorPublishCategory)
Scenario:
* As an Administrator
* I do administrator login 

  I open Joomla Administrator Login Page
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php
  Fill Username Text Field
  Fill Password Text Field
  I click Login button
  I wait to see Administrator Control Panel
* I am going to Navigate to Categories page in /administrator/
* I am on page "administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks"
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to see categories page
* I check for php notices or warnings 
* I am going to try to save a category with a filled title
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.add')"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: New Category","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I fill field {"id":"jform_title"},"automated testing pub66"
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.save')"]"}
* I expect to see a success message after saving the category
* I see "Category successfully saved",{"id":"system-message-container"}
* I am going to Search for automated testing
* I fill field {"xpath":"//input[@id="filter_search"]"},"automated testing pub
"
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I am going to Select the first weblink
* I click {"xpath":"//input[@id="cb0"]"}
* I am going to try to publish a weblink category
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="if (document.adminForm.boxchecked.value==0){alert('Please first make a selection from the list.');}else{ Joomla.submitbutton('categories.publish')}"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to see a success message after publishing the category
* I see "1 category successfully published.",{"id":"system-message-container"}
 PASSED 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Test Catego (AdministratorCategoriesCest::administratorUnpublishCategory)
Scenario:
* As an Administrator
* I do administrator login 

  I open Joomla Administrator Login Page
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php
  Fill Username Text Field
  Fill Password Text Field
  I click Login button
  I wait to see Administrator Control Panel
* I am going to Navigate to Categories page in /administrator/
* I am on page "administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks"
  [GET] http://localhost/joomla-cms3-weblinks-jtest/administrator/index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to see categories page
* I check for php notices or warnings 
* I am going to try to save a category with a filled title
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.add')"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: New Category","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I fill field {"id":"jform_title"},"automated testing unpub27"
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="Joomla.submitbutton('category.save')"]"}
* I expect to see a success message after saving the category
* I see "Category successfully saved",{"id":"system-message-container"}
* I am going to Search for automated testing
* I fill field {"xpath":"//input[@id="filter_search"]"},"automated testing unpub
"
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I am going to Select the first weblink
* I click {"xpath":"//input[@id="cb0"]"}
* I am going to Try to publish a weblink category
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="if (document.adminForm.boxchecked.value==0){alert('Please first make a selection from the list.');}else{ Joomla.submitbutton('categories.publish')}"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to See a success message after publishing the category
* I see "1 category successfully published.",{"id":"system-message-container"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I am going to Select the first weblink
* I click {"xpath":"//input[@id="cb0"]"}
* I am going to Try to unpublish a weblink category
* I click {"xpath":"//button[@onclick="if (document.adminForm.boxchecked.value==0){alert('Please first make a selection from the list.');}else{ Joomla.submitbutton('categories.unpublish')}"]"}
* I wait for text "Weblinks: Categories","30",{"css":"h1"}
* I expect to See a success message after unpublishing the category
* I see "1 category successfully unpublished",{"id":"system-message-container"}
 PASSED 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Time: 31.63 seconds, Memory: 7.75Mb

OK (4 tests, 28 assertions)
 [Testing\Codecept] Done in 31.699s