diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/BasicFunctionalTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/BasicFunctionalTest.php
index 016a7949f..7bdb84653 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/BasicFunctionalTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/BasicFunctionalTest.php
@@ -740,11 +740,10 @@ class BasicFunctionalTest extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $address->user = $user;
 
         $this->_em->persist($address);
-        // pretend we forgot to persist $user
-        try {
-            $this->_em->flush(); // should raise an exception
-            $this->fail();
-        } catch (\InvalidArgumentException $expected) {}
+
+        // flushing without persisting $user should raise an exception
+        $this->expectException(\InvalidArgumentException::class);
+        $this->_em->flush();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -774,11 +773,10 @@ class BasicFunctionalTest extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $u2->name = "Benjamin E.";
         $u2->status = 'inactive';
         $address->user = $u2;
-        // pretend we forgot to persist $u2
-        try {
-            $this->_em->flush(); // should raise an exception
-            $this->fail();
-        } catch (\InvalidArgumentException $expected) {}
+
+        // flushing without persisting $u2 should raise an exception
+        $this->expectException(\InvalidArgumentException::class);
+        $this->_em->flush();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -797,11 +795,10 @@ class BasicFunctionalTest extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $art->addComment($com);
 
         $this->_em->persist($art);
-        // pretend we forgot to persist $com
-        try {
-            $this->_em->flush(); // should raise an exception
-            $this->fail();
-        } catch (\InvalidArgumentException $expected) {}
+
+        // flushing without persisting $com should raise an exception
+        $this->expectException(\InvalidArgumentException::class);
+        $this->_em->flush();
     }
 
     public function testOneToOneOrphanRemoval()
@@ -933,10 +930,9 @@ class BasicFunctionalTest extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $user->name = "Benjamin E.";
         $user->status = 'active';
         $user->id = 42;
-        try {
-            $this->_em->merge($user);
-            $this->fail();
-        } catch (EntityNotFoundException $enfe) {}
+
+        $this->expectException(EntityNotFoundException::class);
+        $this->_em->merge($user);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/DetachedEntityTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/DetachedEntityTest.php
index 5060f07a1..523c98c09 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/DetachedEntityTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/DetachedEntityTest.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional;
 
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Exception\UniqueConstraintViolationException;
 use Doctrine\ORM\OptimisticLockException;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Proxy\Proxy;
 use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser;
@@ -113,14 +114,16 @@ class DetachedEntityTest extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
     {
         $ph = new CmsPhonenumber();
         $ph->phonenumber = '12345';
+
         $this->_em->persist($ph);
         $this->_em->flush();
         $this->_em->clear();
+
         $this->_em->persist($ph);
-        try {
-            $this->_em->flush();
-            $this->fail();
-        } catch (\Exception $expected) {}
+
+        // since it tries to insert the object twice (with the same PK)
+        $this->expectException(UniqueConstraintViolationException::class);
+        $this->_em->flush();
     }
 
     public function testUninitializedLazyAssociationsAreIgnoredOnMerge()
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/SingleScalarHydratorTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/SingleScalarHydratorTest.php
index 694259b29..f9d91be63 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/SingleScalarHydratorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/SingleScalarHydratorTest.php
@@ -72,17 +72,22 @@ class SingleScalarHydratorTest extends HydrationTestCase
         $stmt = new HydratorMockStatement($resultSet);
         $hydrator = new SingleScalarHydrator($this->_em);
 
-        if ($name == 'result1') {
+        if ($name === 'result1') {
             $result = $hydrator->hydrateAll($stmt, $rsm);
             $this->assertEquals('romanb', $result);
-        } else if ($name == 'result2') {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if ($name === 'result2') {
             $result = $hydrator->hydrateAll($stmt, $rsm);
             $this->assertEquals(1, $result);
-        } else if ($name == 'result3' || $name == 'result4') {
-            try {
-                $result = $hydrator->hydrateAll($stmt, $rsm);
-                $this->fail();
-            } catch (\Doctrine\ORM\NonUniqueResultException $e) {}
+
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (in_array($name, ['result3', 'result4'], true)) {
+            $this->expectException(NonUniqueResultException::class);
+            $hydrator->hydrateAll($stmt, $rsm);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Id/AssignedGeneratorTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Id/AssignedGeneratorTest.php
index acc951c16..aa0240ebc 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Id/AssignedGeneratorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Id/AssignedGeneratorTest.php
@@ -22,19 +22,22 @@ class AssignedGeneratorTest extends OrmTestCase
         $this->_assignedGen = new AssignedGenerator;
     }
 
-    public function testThrowsExceptionIfIdNotAssigned()
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider entitiesWithoutId
+     */
+    public function testThrowsExceptionIfIdNotAssigned($entity)
     {
-        try {
-            $entity = new AssignedSingleIdEntity;
-            $this->_assignedGen->generate($this->_em, $entity);
-            $this->fail('Assigned generator did not throw exception even though ID was missing.');
-        } catch (ORMException $expected) {}
+        $this->expectException(ORMException::class);
 
-        try {
-            $entity = new AssignedCompositeIdEntity;
-            $this->_assignedGen->generate($this->_em, $entity);
-            $this->fail('Assigned generator did not throw exception even though ID was missing.');
-        } catch (ORMException $expected) {}
+        $this->_assignedGen->generate($this->_em, $entity);
+    }
+
+    public function entitiesWithoutId(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'single'    => [new AssignedSingleIdEntity()],
+            'composite' => [new AssignedCompositeIdEntity()],
+        ];
     }
 
     public function testCorrectIdGeneration()