diff --git a/src/lib/tsconfig-tests.json b/src/lib/tsconfig-tests.json
index 71a2f109b594..9435c945af1e 100644
--- a/src/lib/tsconfig-tests.json
+++ b/src/lib/tsconfig-tests.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     "types": ["jasmine"],
     "paths": {
       "@angular/material/*": ["./*"],
-      "@angular/cdk/*": ["../../dist/packages/cdk/*/public-api"]
+      "@angular/cdk/*": ["../../dist/packages/cdk/*"]
     }
   },
   "angularCompilerOptions": {
@@ -24,6 +24,6 @@
     "index.ts"
   ],
   "exclude": [
-    "**/schematics/**/*.ts",
-  ],
+    "**/schematics/**/*.ts"
+  ]
 }
diff --git a/tools/package-tools/build-package.ts b/tools/package-tools/build-package.ts
index 8c25d7e99b18..b32bfde3bdbf 100644
--- a/tools/package-tools/build-package.ts
+++ b/tools/package-tools/build-package.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import {join} from 'path';
-import {red} from 'chalk';
 import {PackageBundler} from './build-bundles';
 import {buildConfig} from './build-config';
-import {getSecondaryEntryPointsForPackage} from './secondary-entry-points';
 import {
   addImportAsToAllMetadata,
   compileEntryPoint,
   renamePrivateReExportsToBeUnique,
 } from './compile-entry-point';
-import {ngcCompile} from './ngc-compile';
+import {getSecondaryEntryPointsForPackage} from './secondary-entry-points';
 
 const {packagesDir, outputDir} = buildConfig;
 
@@ -78,7 +76,8 @@ export class BuildPackage {
 
   /** Compiles the TypeScript test source files for the package. */
   async compileTests() {
-    await this._compileTestEntryPoint(testsTsconfigName);
+    return compileEntryPoint(this, testsTsconfigName)
+      .then(() => addImportAsToAllMetadata(this));
   }
 
   /** Creates all bundles for the package and all associated entry points. */
@@ -93,20 +92,6 @@ export class BuildPackage {
       .then(() => renamePrivateReExportsToBeUnique(this, p));
   }
 
-  /** Compiles the TypeScript sources of a primary or secondary entry point. */
-  private _compileTestEntryPoint(tsconfigName: string, secondaryEntryPoint = ''): Promise<any> {
-    const entryPointPath = join(this.sourceDir, secondaryEntryPoint);
-    const tsconfigPath = join(entryPointPath, tsconfigName);
-
-    return ngcCompile(['-p', tsconfigPath])
-      .then(() => addImportAsToAllMetadata(this))
-      .catch(() => {
-        const error = red(`Failed to compile ${secondaryEntryPoint} using ${tsconfigPath}`);
-        console.error(error);
-        return Promise.reject(error);
-      });
-  }
-
   /** Stores the secondary entry-points for this package if they haven't been computed already. */
   private cacheSecondaryEntryPoints() {
     if (!this._secondaryEntryPoints) {
diff --git a/tools/package-tools/gulp/build-tasks-gulp.ts b/tools/package-tools/gulp/build-tasks-gulp.ts
index f0995746d072..924fe52ad369 100644
--- a/tools/package-tools/gulp/build-tasks-gulp.ts
+++ b/tools/package-tools/gulp/build-tasks-gulp.ts
@@ -60,8 +60,11 @@ export function createPackageBuildTasks(buildPackage: BuildPackage, preBuildTask
   ));
 
   task(`${taskName}:build-no-bundles`, sequenceTask(
+    // Build assets before building the ESM output. Since we compile with NGC, the compiler
+    // tries to resolve all required assets.
+    `${taskName}:assets`,
     // Build the ESM output that includes all test files. Also build assets for the package.
-    [`${taskName}:build:esm:tests`, `${taskName}:assets`],
+    `${taskName}:build:esm:tests`,
     // Inline assets into ESM output.
     `${taskName}:assets:inline`
   ));