diff --git a/nipype/pipeline/plugins/tests/test_sgelike.py b/nipype/pipeline/plugins/tests/test_sgelike.py
index 4c5807e262..a150309e1f 100644
--- a/nipype/pipeline/plugins/tests/test_sgelike.py
+++ b/nipype/pipeline/plugins/tests/test_sgelike.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 
 def crasher():
-    raise ValueError()
+    raise ValueError
 
 
 def submit_batchtask(self, scriptfile, node):
diff --git a/nipype/utils/tests/test_filemanip.py b/nipype/utils/tests/test_filemanip.py
index 146a245841..9b10021cb3 100644
--- a/nipype/utils/tests/test_filemanip.py
+++ b/nipype/utils/tests/test_filemanip.py
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ def __getstate__(self):
 
 class PickledBreaker:
     def __setstate__(self, d):
-        raise Exception()
+        raise Exception
 
 
 def test_versioned_pklization(tmpdir):