diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/testplugin/CProjectHelper.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/testplugin/CProjectHelper.java
index 84b74deb905..b3122f58bfe 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/testplugin/CProjectHelper.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/testplugin/CProjectHelper.java
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ public class CProjectHelper {
 					System.runFinalization();
 					cproject.getProject().delete(true, true, null);
 				} catch (CoreException e2) {
-					Assert.fail(getMessage(e2.getStatus()));
+					throw new AssertionError("Failed to delete project", e2);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/selection/BaseSelectionTests.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/selection/BaseSelectionTests.java
index 0cdc9c88566..3c0856cb66d 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/selection/BaseSelectionTests.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/selection/BaseSelectionTests.java
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import org.eclipse.jface.text.TextSelection;
 import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection;
 import org.eclipse.ui.IEditorPart;
 import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPage;
-import org.eclipse.ui.PartInitException;
 import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
 import org.eclipse.ui.part.FileEditorInput;
 
@@ -108,12 +107,7 @@ public abstract class BaseSelectionTests extends BaseUITestCase {
 			throw new ParserException("offset can not be less than 0 and was " + offset); //$NON-NLS-1$
 
 		IWorkbenchPage page = PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getActiveWorkbenchWindow().getActivePage();
-		IEditorPart part = null;
-		try {
-			part = page.openEditor(new FileEditorInput(file), "org.eclipse.cdt.ui.editor.CEditor"); //$NON-NLS-1$
-		} catch (PartInitException e) {
-			assertFalse(true);
-		}
+		IEditorPart part = page.openEditor(new FileEditorInput(file), "org.eclipse.cdt.ui.editor.CEditor"); //$NON-NLS-1$
 
 		if (part instanceof CEditor) {
 			CEditor editor = (CEditor) part;