diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_cdd.py b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_cdd.py
index c2c13916ab..2655960ff5 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_cdd.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_cdd.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
                     default=False,
                     help='Retrieve the destination to export to from django? True/False'),
         make_option('--destination',
-                    action='store_true',
+                    action='store',
                     dest='destination',
                     default=None,
                     help='Where to store the exported files')
@@ -61,24 +61,22 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         # Name will use timestamp -- this is UTC, so it will look funny,
         # but it should at least be consistent with the other timestamps 
         # used in the system.
-        if options['dest-from-settings'] is True:
-            if settings.PEARSON[LOCAL_EXPORT]:
+        if 'dest-from-settings' in options:
+            if LOCAL_EXPORT in settings.PEARSON:
                 dest = settings.PEARSON[LOCAL_EXPORT]
             else:
                 raise CommandError('--dest-from-settings was enabled but the'
                         'PEARSON[LOCAL_EXPORT] setting was not set.')
-        elif options['destination']:
+        elif 'destination' in options:
             dest = options['destination']
         else:
-            raise ComamndError('--destination or --dest-from-settings must be used')
+            raise CommandError('--destination or --dest-from-settings must be used')
                 
 
         if not os.path.isdir(dest):
             os.makedirs(dest)
-            destfile = os.path.join(dest, uploaded_at.strftime("cdd-%Y%m%d-%H%M%S.dat"))
-        else:
-            destfile = os.path.join(dest, uploaded_at.strftime("cdd-%Y%m%d-%H%M%S.dat"))
 
+        destfile = os.path.join(dest, uploaded_at.strftime("cdd-%Y%m%d-%H%M%S.dat"))
         
         # strings must be in latin-1 format.  CSV parser will
         # otherwise convert unicode objects to ascii.
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_ead.py b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_ead.py
index 6e3149778d..7697c99e4a 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_ead.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_export_ead.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
                     default=False,
                     help='Retrieve the destination to export to from django? True/False'),
         make_option('--destination',
-                    action='store_true',
+                    action='store',
                     dest='destination',
                     default=None,
                     help='Where to store the exported files'),
@@ -55,22 +55,21 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         # Name will use timestamp -- this is UTC, so it will look funny,
         # but it should at least be consistent with the other timestamps
         # used in the system.
-        if options['dest-from-settings'] is True:
-            if settings.PEARSON[LOCAL_EXPORT]:
+        if 'dest-from-settings' in options:
+            if LOCAL_EXPORT in settings.PEARSON:
                 dest = settings.PEARSON[LOCAL_EXPORT]
             else:
                 raise CommandError('--dest-from-settings was enabled but the'
                         'PEARSON[LOCAL_EXPORT] setting was not set.')
-        elif options['destination']:
+        elif destinations in options:
             dest = options['destination']
         else:
-            raise ComamndError('--destination or --dest-from-settings must be used')
+            raise CommandError('--destination or --dest-from-settings must be used')
 
         if not os.path.isdir(dest):
             os.makedirs(dest)
-            destfile = os.path.join(dest, uploaded_at.strftime("ead-%Y%m%d-%H%M%S.dat"))
-        else:
-            destfile = os.path.join(dest, uploaded_at.strftime("ead-%Y%m%d-%H%M%S.dat"))
+
+        destfile = os.path.join(dest, uploaded_at.strftime("ead-%Y%m%d-%H%M%S.dat"))
 
         dump_all = kwargs['dump_all']
 
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_transfer.py b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_transfer.py
index 1d04936216..7d4a2ead3f 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_transfer.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/student/management/commands/pearson_transfer.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
     option_list = BaseCommand.option_list + (
         make_option('--mode',
-                    action='store_true',
+                    action='store',
                     dest='mode',
                     default='both',
                     help='mode is import, export, or both'),
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
                               password=settings.PEARSON[SFTP_PASSWORD])
                     sftp = paramiko.SFTPClient.from_transport(t)
                     if os.path.isdir(files_from):
-                        for file in os.listdir(files_from):
+                        for filename in os.listdir(files_from):
                             sftp.put(files_from+'/'+filename,
                                      files_to+'/'+filename)
                     else:
-                        for file in sftp.listdir(files_from):
+                        for filename in sftp.listdir(files_from):
                             sftp.get(files_from+'/'+filename,
                                      files_to+'/'+filename)
                 except: