diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
index 8ab716735c..a69c26572d 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
@@ -1072,13 +1072,11 @@ def sympy_check2():
                 correct = self.context['correct']
                 messages = self.context['messages']
                 overall_message = self.context['overall_message']
+
             except Exception as err:
-                print "oops in customresponse (code) error %s" % err
-                print "context = ", self.context
-                print traceback.format_exc()
-                # Notify student
-                raise StudentInputError(
-                    "Error: Problem could not be evaluated with your input")
+                self._handle_exec_exception(err)
+                pass
+
         else:
             # self.code is not a string; assume its a function
 
@@ -1105,13 +1103,9 @@ def sympy_check2():
                     nargs, args, kwargs))
 
                 ret = fn(*args[:nargs], **kwargs)
+
             except Exception as err:
-                log.error("oops in customresponse (cfn) error %s" % err)
-                # print "context = ",self.context
-                log.error(traceback.format_exc())
-                raise Exception("oops in customresponse (cfn) error %s" % err)
-            log.debug(
-                "[courseware.capa.responsetypes.customresponse.get_score] ret = %s" % ret)
+                self._handle_exec_exception(err)
 
             if type(ret) == dict:
 
@@ -1157,7 +1151,7 @@ def sympy_check2():
                 # Raise an exception
                 else:
                     log.error(traceback.format_exc())
-                    raise Exception(
+                    raise LoncapaProblemError(
                         "CustomResponse: check function returned an invalid dict")
 
             # The check function can return a boolean value,
@@ -1227,6 +1221,23 @@ def sympy_check2():
             return {self.answer_ids[0]: self.expect}
         return self.default_answer_map
 
+    def _handle_exec_exception(self, err):
+        '''
+        Handle an exception raised during the execution of
+        custom Python code.
+
+        Raises a StudentInputError
+        '''
+
+        # Log the error if we are debugging
+        msg = 'Error occurred while evaluating CustomResponse: %s' % str(err)
+        log.debug(msg)
+        log.debug(traceback.format_exc())
+
+        # Notify student
+        raise StudentInputError(
+            "Error: Problem could not be evaluated with your input")
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py
index 0c007f83b2..ac50e6defc 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_responsetypes.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import textwrap
 from . import test_system
 
 import capa.capa_problem as lcp
+from capa.responsetypes import LoncapaProblemError, StudentInputError
 from capa.correctmap import CorrectMap
 from capa.util import convert_files_to_filenames
 from capa.xqueue_interface import dateformat
@@ -853,7 +854,7 @@ class CustomResponseTest(ResponseTest):
         # Message is interpreted as an "overall message"
         self.assertEqual(correct_map.get_overall_message(), 'Message text')
 
-    def test_script_exception(self):
+    def test_script_exception_function(self):
 
         # Construct a script that will raise an exception
         script = textwrap.dedent("""
@@ -864,7 +865,17 @@ class CustomResponseTest(ResponseTest):
         problem = self.build_problem(script=script, cfn="check_func")
 
         # Expect that an exception gets raised when we check the answer
-        with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+        with self.assertRaises(StudentInputError):
+            problem.grade_answers({'1_2_1': '42'})
+
+    def test_script_exception_inline(self):
+
+        # Construct a script that will raise an exception
+        script = 'raise Exception("Test")'
+        problem = self.build_problem(answer=script)
+
+        # Expect that an exception gets raised when we check the answer
+        with self.assertRaises(StudentInputError):
             problem.grade_answers({'1_2_1': '42'})
 
     def test_invalid_dict_exception(self):
@@ -878,7 +889,7 @@ class CustomResponseTest(ResponseTest):
         problem = self.build_problem(script=script, cfn="check_func")
 
         # Expect that an exception gets raised when we check the answer
-        with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+        with self.assertRaises(LoncapaProblemError):
             problem.grade_answers({'1_2_1': '42'})