diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
index 62f537b1e9..f7960b13b1 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedFields(object):
         help="The number of times the student can try to answer this problem.",
         default=1,
         scope=Scope.settings,
-        values={"min" : 1 }
+        values={"min": 1 }
     )
     accept_file_upload = Boolean(
         display_name="Allow File Uploads",
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedFields(object):
         display_name="Problem Weight",
         help="Defines the number of points each problem is worth. If the value is not set, each problem is worth one point.",
         scope=Scope.settings,
-        values={"min" : 0 , "step": ".1"},
+        values={"min": 0, "step": ".1"},
         default=1
     )
     min_to_calibrate = Integer(
@@ -250,28 +250,28 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedFields(object):
         help="The minimum number of calibration essays each student will need to complete for peer grading.",
         default=3,
         scope=Scope.settings,
-        values={"min" : 1, "max" : 20, "step" : "1"}
+        values={"min": 1, "max": 20, "step": "1"}
     )
     max_to_calibrate = Integer(
         display_name="Maximum Peer Grading Calibrations",
         help="The maximum number of calibration essays each student will need to complete for peer grading.",
         default=6,
         scope=Scope.settings,
-        values={"min" : 1, "max" : 20, "step" : "1"}
+        values={"min": 1, "max": 20, "step": "1"}
     )
     peer_grader_count = Integer(
         display_name="Peer Graders per Response",
         help="The number of peers who will grade each submission.",
         default=3,
         scope=Scope.settings,
-        values={"min" : 1, "step" : "1", "max" : 5}
+        values={"min": 1, "step": "1", "max": 5}
     )
     required_peer_grading = Integer(
         display_name="Required Peer Grading",
         help="The number of other students each student making a submission will have to grade.",
         default=3,
         scope=Scope.settings,
-        values={"min" : 1, "step" : "1", "max" : 5}
+        values={"min": 1, "step": "1", "max": 5}
     )
     markdown = String(
         help="Markdown source of this module",
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_modulev1.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_modulev1.py
index 8c90983d3c..c215df2d66 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_modulev1.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_modulev1.py
@@ -351,7 +351,12 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedV1Module():
         return self.current_task.get_html(self.system)
 
     def get_html_ajax(self, data):
-        return {'html' : self.get_html()}
+        """
+        Get HTML in AJAX callback
+        data - Needed to preserve AJAX structure
+        Output: Dictionary with html attribute
+        """
+        return {'html': self.get_html()}
 
     def get_current_attributes(self, task_number):
         """
@@ -643,7 +648,12 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedV1Module():
     def get_current_state(self, data):
         return self.get_context()
 
-    def get_last_response_ajax(self,data):
+    def get_last_response_ajax(self, data):
+        """
+        Get the last response via ajax callback
+        data - Needed to preserve ajax callback structure
+        Output: Last response dictionary
+        """
         return self.get_last_response(self.current_task_number)
 
     def next_problem(self, _data):
@@ -666,10 +676,10 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedV1Module():
                 return self.out_of_sync_error(data)
         success, can_reset, error = self.check_if_student_has_done_needed_grading()
         if not can_reset:
-            return {'error' : error, 'success' : False}
-        if self.student_attempts >= self.max_attempts-1:
-            if self.student_attempts==self.max_attempts-1:
-                self.student_attempts +=1
+            return {'error': error, 'success': False}
+        if self.student_attempts >= self.max_attempts - 1:
+            if self.student_attempts == self.max_attempts - 1:
+                self.student_attempts += 1
             return {
                 'success': False,
                 # This is a student_facing_error
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_rubric.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
index a72fd07438..1b8d84754a 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric(object):
         #Get the highest possible score across all categories
         max_score = max(max_scores)
         #Loop through each category
-        for i,category in enumerate(rubric_categories):
+        for i, category in enumerate(rubric_categories):
             #Loop through each option in the category
             for j in xrange(len(category['options'])):
                 #Intialize empty grader types list
@@ -234,10 +234,10 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric(object):
                                 #If a list in the list of lists for this position exists, append to it
                                 actual_scores[i] += [j]
 
-        actual_scores = [sum(i)/len(i) for i in actual_scores]
+        actual_scores = [sum(i) / len(i) for i in actual_scores]
         correct = []
         #Define if the student is "correct" (1) "incorrect" (0) or "partially correct" (.5)
-        for (i,a) in enumerate(actual_scores):
+        for (i, a) in enumerate(actual_scores):
             if int(a) == max_scores[i]:
                 correct.append(1)
             elif int(a)==0:
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/grading_service_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/grading_service_module.py
index fcbe9e5ad1..4c6a79a5f1 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/grading_service_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/grading_service_module.py
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class GradingServiceError(Exception):
+    """
+    Exception for grading service.  Shown when Open Response Assessment servers cannot be reached.
+    """
     pass
 
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/openendedchild.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/openendedchild.py
index d99e466886..2f8d4fa866 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/openendedchild.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_grading_classes/openendedchild.py
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ class OpenEndedChild(object):
         try:
             image_data.seek(0)
             image_ok = open_ended_image_submission.run_image_tests(image_data)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             log.exception("Could not create image and check it.")
 
         if image_ok:
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ class OpenEndedChild(object):
                 success, s3_public_url = open_ended_image_submission.upload_to_s3(
                     image_data, image_key, self.s3_interface
                 )
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 log.exception("Could not upload image to S3.")
 
         return success, image_ok, s3_public_url