diff --git a/test/basetest/exceptions.py b/test/basetest/exceptions.py
index 998a24325..f1e227975 100644
--- a/test/basetest/exceptions.py
+++ b/test/basetest/exceptions.py
@@ -36,10 +36,11 @@ class HookError(Exception):
 
 class TimeoutWaitingForStream(object):
     def __init__(self, name):
-        self.stream = name
+        self.name = name
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return "*** Timeout reached while waiting for %s ***".format(self.name)
+        return "*** Timeout reached while waiting for {0} ***".format(
+            self.name)
 
 
 class StreamsAreMerged(object):
diff --git a/test/basetest/hooks.py b/test/basetest/hooks.py
index 5c827bcb0..c53b7b760 100644
--- a/test/basetest/hooks.py
+++ b/test/basetest/hooks.py
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ class LoggedHook(Hook):
         for k1 in log:
             # Timestamps
             if k1 == "calls":
-                timestamp = lambda x: datetime.fromtimestamp(int(x) / 1e9)
+                timestamp = lambda x: datetime.fromtimestamp(float(x))
                 newlog[k1] = map(timestamp, log[k1])
 
             elif k1 in ("input", "output"):
@@ -460,35 +460,36 @@ class LoggedHook(Hook):
 
         return newlog
 
-    def assert_triggered(self):
+    def assertTriggered(self):
         """Check if current hook file was triggered/used by taskwarrior
         """
         log = self._parse_log()
 
-        if log["calls"]:
-            return True
-        else:
-            return False
+        assert log["calls"], "{0} was never called".format(self.hookname)
 
-    def assert_triggered_count(self, count):
+    def assertTriggeredCount(self, count):
         """Check if current hook file was triggered/used by taskwarrior and
         how many times.
         """
         log = self._parse_log()
 
-        if len(log["calls"]) == count:
-            return True
-        else:
-            return False
+        assert len(log["calls"]) == count, ("{0} calls expected for {1} but "
+                                            "found {2}".format(
+                                                count,
+                                                self.hookname,
+                                                log["calls"]
+                                            ))
 
-    def assert_exitcode(self, exitcode):
+    def assertExitcode(self, exitcode):
         """Check if current hook finished with the expected exit code
         """
         log = self._parse_log()
 
-        if log["exitcode"] == exitcode:
-            return True
-        else:
-            return False
+        assert log["exitcode"] == exitcode, ("Expected exit code {0} for {1} "
+                                             "but found {2}".format(
+                                                 exitcode,
+                                                 self.hookname,
+                                                 log["exitcode"]
+                                             ))
 
 # vim: ai sts=4 et sw=4
diff --git a/test/template.t b/test/template.t
index 80d76cea6..36466df23 100644
--- a/test/template.t
+++ b/test/template.t
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class TestHooksBugNumber(TestCase):
         self.t.activate_hooks()
 
     def test_onmodify_custom(self):
-        # Testing a custom made hook
+        """Testing a custom made hook"""
         hookname = "on-modify-example-raw"
 
         content = """#!/usr/bin/env python
@@ -134,8 +134,10 @@ sys.exit(0)
         self.assertIn("The hook did its thing", out)
 
     def test_onmodify_builtin_with_log(self):
-        # Testing a builtin hook and keeping track of its input/output
-        # The builtin hook is found in test/test_hooks
+        """Testing a builtin hook and keeping track of its input/output
+
+        The builtin hook in found in test/test_hooks
+        """
         hookname = "on-modify-for-template.py"
         self.t.hooks.add_default(hookname, log=True)
 
@@ -144,10 +146,12 @@ sys.exit(0)
         code, out, err = self.t()
         self.assertIn("This is an example modify hook", out)
 
-        logs = self.t.hooks[hookname].get_logs()
+        hook = self.t.hooks[hookname]
+        logs = hook.get_logs()
 
         # Hook was called once
-        self.assertEqual(len(logs["calls"]), 1)
+        hook.assertTriggeredCount(1)
+        hook.assertExitcode(0)
 
         # Some message output from the hook
         self.assertEqual(logs["output"]["msgs"][0],
@@ -158,8 +162,10 @@ sys.exit(0)
                          "This is an example modify hook")
 
     def test_onmodify_bad_builtin_with_log(self):
-        # Testing a builtin hook and keeping track of its input/output
-        # The builtin hook is found in test/test_hooks
+        """Testing a builtin hook and keeping track of its input/output
+
+        The builtin hook in found in test/test_hooks
+        """
         hookname = "on-modify-for-template-badexit.py"
         self.t.hooks.add_default(hookname, log=True)
 
@@ -168,10 +174,12 @@ sys.exit(0)
         code, out, err = self.t()
         self.assertNotIn("This is an example modify hook", out)
 
-        logs = self.t.hooks[hookname].get_logs()
+        hook = self.t.hooks[hookname]
+        logs = hook.get_logs()
 
         # Hook was called once
-        self.assertEqual(len(logs["calls"]), 1)
+        hook.assertTriggeredCount(1)
+        hook.assertExitcode(1)
 
         # Some message output from the hook
         self.assertEqual(logs["output"]["msgs"][0],
diff --git a/test/test_hooks/wrapper.sh b/test/test_hooks/wrapper.sh
index 86a8513d4..0dee55eb1 100644
--- a/test/test_hooks/wrapper.sh
+++ b/test/test_hooks/wrapper.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ IN="${ORIGINALHOOK}.log.in"
 OUT="${ORIGINALHOOK}.log.out"
 
 # Let it know that we were executed
-echo "% Called at $(date +%s%N)" >> ${IN}
+echo "% Called at $(python -c 'import time; print(time.time())')" >> ${IN}
 
 # Log what arrives via stdin to ${IN} and what comes via stdout to ${OUT}
 $ORIGINALHOOK < <(tee -a ${IN}) > >(tee -a ${OUT})