diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/tests/test_sysadmin.py b/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/tests/test_sysadmin.py
index 7c5ff323af..3e1d12fe97 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/tests/test_sysadmin.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/tests/test_sysadmin.py
@@ -183,11 +183,11 @@ class TestSysAdminMongoCourseImport(SysadminBaseTestCase):
         # Regex of first 3 columns of course information table row for
         # test course loaded from git. Would not have sha1 if
         # git_info_for_course failed.
-        table_re = re.compile(ur"""
-            <tr>\s+
-            <td>edX\sAuthor\sCourse</td>\s+  # expected test git course name
-            <td>course-v1:MITx\+edx4edx\+edx4edx</td>\s+  # expected test git course_id
-            <td>[a-fA-F\d]{40}</td>  # git sha1 hash
+        table_re = re.compile(u"""
+            <tr>\\s+
+            <td>edX\\sAuthor\\sCourse</td>\\s+  # expected test git course name
+            <td>course-v1:MITx\\+edx4edx\\+edx4edx</td>\\s+  # expected test git course_id
+            <td>[a-fA-F\\d]{40}</td>  # git sha1 hash
         """, re.VERBOSE)
         self._setstaff_login()
         self._mkdir(settings.GIT_REPO_DIR)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/learner_dashboard/tests/test_programs.py b/lms/djangoapps/learner_dashboard/tests/test_programs.py
index 2332b2460b..5a300de3e9 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/learner_dashboard/tests/test_programs.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/learner_dashboard/tests/test_programs.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def load_serialized_data(response, key):
     """
     Extract and deserialize serialized data from the response.
     """
-    pattern = re.compile(ur'{key}: (?P<data>\[.*\])'.format(key=key))
+    pattern = re.compile(u'{key}: (?P<data>\\[.*\\])'.format(key=key))
     match = pattern.search(response.content)
     serialized = match.group('data')
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_ssencrypt.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_ssencrypt.py
index 6e39b08c12..52b4d065b9 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_ssencrypt.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/tests/test_ssencrypt.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Tests of the encryption and decryption utilities in the ssencrypt module.
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import base64
+import binascii
 
 from lms.djangoapps.verify_student.ssencrypt import (
     aes_decrypt,
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ from lms.djangoapps.verify_student.ssencrypt import (
     rsa_encrypt
 )
 
-AES_KEY_BYTES = b'32fe72aaf2abb44de9e161131b5435c8d37cbdb6f5df242ae860b283115f2dae'.decode('hex')
+AES_KEY_BYTES = binascii.unhexlify(b'32fe72aaf2abb44de9e161131b5435c8d37cbdb6f5df242ae860b283115f2dae')
 
 # Make up some garbage keys for testing purposes.
 PUB_KEY_BYTES = b"""-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----