diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_certificates.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_certificates.py
index bdd4fe24fe..9f2c54ba58 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_certificates.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_certificates.py
@@ -295,8 +295,8 @@ class CertificatesListHandlerTestCase(
 
         # in html response
         result = self.client.get_html(self._url())
-        self.assertIn('Test certificate', result.content)
-        self.assertIn('Test description', result.content)
+        self.assertContains(result, 'Test certificate')
+        self.assertContains(result, 'Test description')
 
         # in JSON response
         response = self.client.get_json(self._url())
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ class CertificatesListHandlerTestCase(
 
         # in html response
         result = self.client.get_html(self._url())
-        self.assertNotIn('Test certificate', result.content)
+        self.assertNotContains(result, 'Test certificate')
 
     def test_unsupported_http_accept_header(self):
         """
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_updates.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_updates.py
index acdfd28b35..98856e6e07 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_updates.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_course_updates.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class CourseUpdateTest(CourseTestCase):
         # refetch using provided id
         refetched = self.client.get_json(first_update_url)
         self.assertHTMLEqual(
-            content, json.loads(refetched.content)['content'], "get w/ provided id"
+            content, json.loads(refetched.content.decode('utf-8'))['content'], "get w/ provided id"
         )
 
         # now put in an evil update
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_gating.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_gating.py
index cc1d96818e..4cf4ddbca7 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_gating.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_gating.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class TestSubsectionGating(CourseTestCase):
             {'namespace': '{}{}'.format(six.text_type(self.seq1.location), GATING_NAMESPACE_QUALIFIER)},
             {'namespace': '{}{}'.format(six.text_type(self.seq2.location), GATING_NAMESPACE_QUALIFIER)}
         ]
-        resp = json.loads(self.client.get_json(self.seq2_url).content)
+        resp = json.loads(self.client.get_json(self.seq2_url).content.decode('utf-8'))
         mock_is_prereq.assert_called_with(self.course.id, self.seq2.location)
         mock_get_required_content.assert_called_with(self.course.id, self.seq2.location)
         mock_get_prereqs.assert_called_with(self.course.id)
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_import_export.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_import_export.py
index 888eb1809b..0323a6af2d 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_import_export.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_import_export.py
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ class ImportTestCase(CourseTestCase):
         Check that the response for a tar.gz import with a course.xml is
         correct.
         """
-        with open(self.good_tar) as gtar:
+        with open(self.good_tar, 'rb') as gtar:
             args = {"name": self.good_tar, "course-data": [gtar]}
             resp = self.client.post(self.url, args)