diff --git a/tests/test_tickets.py b/tests/test_tickets.py
index 8c370cba33624e93220a171a22845f4b2eddfb3e..e7735ffb20e324d31c2f535e116615d7f61b7940 100644
--- a/tests/test_tickets.py
+++ b/tests/test_tickets.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ from nose import with_setup
 from nose.tools import (assert_equal, assert_false, assert_is_none,
                         assert_is_not_none, assert_raises, assert_true,
                         nottest)
-
+import pytest
 from tests import test_misc
 
 
@@ -62,75 +62,74 @@ def test_ticket_103a():
         # insert w/o strict flag
         haswarnings = False
         rt.insert(strict=False)
-        assert_true(rt.is_valid())
+        assert rt.is_valid()
 
         for w in rt.get_warnings():
             haswarnings = True
 
             break
-        assert_true(haswarnings)
+        assert haswarnings
 
         # update w/o strict flag
         haswarnings = False
         rt.name = "TestRecordTypeUpdate"
         rt.update(strict=False)
-        assert_true(rt.is_valid())
+        assert rt.is_valid()
 
         for w in rt.get_warnings():
             haswarnings = True
 
             break
-        assert_true(haswarnings)
+        assert haswarnings
 
         # update w/ strict flag
         rt.name = "TestRecordTypeUpdate2"
-        try:
+        with pytest.raises(TransactionError) as e:
             rt.update(strict=True)
-            assert_true(False, "This should have raised an 128-Error (strict)")
-        except TransactionError as exc:
-            print(exc)
-            assert_equal(128, int(exc.get_code()))
-            rt = exc.get_entities()[0]
-        assert_false(rt.is_valid())
+        exc = e.value
+        print(exc)
+        assert 128 == exc.get_errors()[0].get_code()
+        rt = exc.get_entities()[0]
+        assert not rt.is_valid()
 
         for w in rt.get_warnings():
             haswarnings = True
 
             break
-        assert_true(haswarnings)
+        assert haswarnings
 
         for w in rt.get_errors():
             if w.get_code() == 128:
                 hasstricterror = True
 
                 break
-        assert_true(hasstricterror)
+        assert hasstricterror
     finally:
         try:
             rt.delete()
         except BaseException:
             pass
 
-    # insert w/ strict flag
+    # insert w/ strict flag without raising an exception
     haswarnings = False
     hasstricterror = False
     rt = db.RecordType(name="TestRecordType")
     try:
         rt.insert(strict=True, raise_exception_on_error=False)
-        assert_false(rt.is_valid())
+        assert not rt.is_valid()
 
         for w in rt.get_warnings():
             haswarnings = True
 
             break
-        assert_true(haswarnings)
+        assert haswarnings
 
         for w in rt.get_errors():
             if w.get_code() == 128:
                 hasstricterror = True
 
                 break
-        assert_true(hasstricterror)
+        assert hasstricterror
     finally:
         try:
             rt.delete()
@@ -158,19 +157,17 @@ def test_ticket_103b():
     # unique flag
 
     try:
-        rt1 = db.RecordType(name="NameDuplicatesEntity")
-        rt2 = db.RecordType(name="NameDuplicatesEntity")
+        rt1 = db.RecordType(name="TestNameDuplicatesEntity")
+        rt2 = db.RecordType(name="TestNameDuplicatesEntity")
 
         rt1.insert(
             unique=True, strict=False)
-        assert_true(rt1.is_valid())
-        try:
+        assert rt1.is_valid()
+        with pytest.raises(TransactionError) as te:
             rt2.insert(unique=True)
-            assert_true(False)
-        except UniqueNamesError:
-            pass
-
-        assert_false(rt2.is_valid())
+        assert te.value.has_error(UniqueNamesError)
+        
+        assert not rt2.is_valid()
 
     finally:
         try:
@@ -183,24 +180,6 @@ def test_ticket_103b():
             pass
 
 
-def test_ticket_102():
-    """EntityDoesNotExistException."""
-
-    try:
-        p = db.Property(name="Non-ExistentProperty")
-        p.retrieve(
-            unique=True, raise_exception_on_error=True)
-        assert_true(False)
-    except CaosDBException as e:
-        assert_true(isinstance(e, EntityDoesNotExistError))
-        assert_is_not_none(e.get_entity())
-        assert_equal(e.get_entity().name, p.name)
-        assert_true(e.get_entity().has_errors())
-        assert_false(p.has_errors())
-        assert_false(p.is_valid())
-        assert_false(e.get_entity().is_valid())
-
-
 def test_ticket_101():
     """RecordType and Property constructor work differently?"""