diff --git a/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path-analyzer.js b/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path-analyzer.js
index dbed9b46194..d6a559fdb65 100644
--- a/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path-analyzer.js
+++ b/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path-analyzer.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const STANDARD_ESQUERY_OPTION = { visitorKeys: vk.KEYS, fallback: Traverser.getK
 
 const expectedPattern = /\/\*expected\s+((?:.|[\r\n])+?)\s*\*\//gu;
 const lineEndingPattern = /\r?\n/gu;
-const linter = new Linter();
+const linter = new Linter({ configType: "eslintrc" });
 
 /**
  * Extracts the content of `/*expected` comments from a given source code.
diff --git a/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path.js b/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path.js
index 7f1d738f6e9..0864efa822e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path.js
+++ b/tests/lib/linter/code-path-analysis/code-path.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 const assert = require("assert"),
     { Linter } = require("../../../../lib/linter");
-const linter = new Linter();
+const linter = new Linter({ configType: "eslintrc" });
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Helpers
diff --git a/tests/lib/linter/rules.js b/tests/lib/linter/rules.js
index 31d6764dc26..7ae12289842 100644
--- a/tests/lib/linter/rules.js
+++ b/tests/lib/linter/rules.js
@@ -58,30 +58,19 @@ describe("rules", () => {
 
             const linter = new Linter();
 
-            const problems = linter.verify("foo", { rules: { "test-rule": "error" } });
-
-            assert.lengthOf(problems, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].message, "Definition for rule 'test-rule' was not found.");
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].line, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].column, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].endLine, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].endColumn, 2);
+            assert.throws(() => {
+                linter.verify("foo", { rules: { "test-rule": "error" } });
+            }, TypeError, "Could not find \"test-rule\" in plugin \"@\".");
+
         });
 
 
         it("should report a linting error that lists replacements if a rule is known to have been replaced", () => {
             const linter = new Linter();
-            const problems = linter.verify("foo", { rules: { "no-arrow-condition": "error" } });
-
-            assert.lengthOf(problems, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(
-                problems[0].message,
-                "Rule 'no-arrow-condition' was removed and replaced by: no-confusing-arrow, no-constant-condition"
-            );
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].line, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].column, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].endLine, 1);
-            assert.strictEqual(problems[0].endColumn, 2);
+
+            assert.throws(() => {
+                linter.verify("foo", { rules: { "no-arrow-condition": "error" } });
+            }, TypeError, "Key \"rules\": Key \"no-arrow-condition\": Rule \"no-arrow-condition\" was removed and replaced by \"no-confusing-arrow,no-constant-condition\".");
         });
     });
 
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js b/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
index bc03c7e47cd..6684df35f00 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const ESPREE_CONFIG = {
     range: true,
     loc: true
 };
-const linter = new Linter();
+const linter = new Linter({ configType: "eslintrc" });
 
 describe("ast-utils", () => {
     let callCounts;
diff --git a/tests/lib/shared/config-validator.js b/tests/lib/shared/config-validator.js
index d54d26e360d..5788824b929 100644
--- a/tests/lib/shared/config-validator.js
+++ b/tests/lib/shared/config-validator.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const assert = require("chai").assert,
 // Helpers
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-const linter = new Linter();
+const linter = new Linter({ configType: "eslintrc" });
 
 const mockRule = {
     meta: {