diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_iplib.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_iplib.py
index e7b7c08..6a23e15 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_iplib.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_iplib.py
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ ZeroDivisionError                         Traceback (most recent call last)
 ZeroDivisionError: ...
       """
 
-@py3compat.u_format
 def doctest_tb_sysexit():
     """
 In [17]: %xmode plain
@@ -156,11 +155,11 @@ Exception reporting mode: Plain
 
 In [18]: %run simpleerr.py exit
 An exception has occurred, use %tb to see the full traceback.
-SystemExit: (1, {u}'Mode = exit')
+SystemExit: (1, 'Mode = exit')
 
 In [19]: %run simpleerr.py exit 2
 An exception has occurred, use %tb to see the full traceback.
-SystemExit: (2, {u}'Mode = exit')
+SystemExit: (2, 'Mode = exit')
 
 In [20]: %tb
 Traceback (most recent call last):
@@ -170,7 +169,7 @@ Traceback (most recent call last):
     sysexit(stat, mode)
   File ... line 11, in sysexit
     raise SystemExit(stat, 'Mode = %s' % mode)
-SystemExit: (2, {u}'Mode = exit')
+SystemExit: (2, 'Mode = exit')
 
 In [21]: %xmode context
 Exception reporting mode: Context
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ SystemExit                                Traceback (most recent call last)
      12 
      13 def bar(mode):
 <BLANKLINE>
-SystemExit: (2, {u}'Mode = exit')
+SystemExit: (2, 'Mode = exit')
 
 In [23]: %xmode verbose
 Exception reporting mode: Verbose
@@ -212,29 +211,29 @@ SystemExit                                Traceback (most recent call last)
      31 
 ---> 32     bar(mode)
         global bar = <function bar at ...>
-        global mode = {u}'exit'
+        global mode = 'exit'
 <BLANKLINE>
-... in bar(mode={u}'exit')
+... in bar(mode='exit')
      20         except:
      21             stat = 1
 ---> 22         sysexit(stat, mode)
         global sysexit = <function sysexit at ...>
         stat = 2
-        mode = {u}'exit'
+        mode = 'exit'
      23     else:
      24         raise ValueError('Unknown mode')
 <BLANKLINE>
-... in sysexit(stat=2, mode={u}'exit')
+... in sysexit(stat=2, mode='exit')
       9 
      10 def sysexit(stat, mode):
 ---> 11     raise SystemExit(stat, 'Mode = %s' % mode)
         global SystemExit = undefined
         stat = 2
-        mode = {u}'exit'
+        mode = 'exit'
      12 
      13 def bar(mode):
 <BLANKLINE>
-SystemExit: (2, {u}'Mode = exit')
+SystemExit: (2, 'Mode = exit')
     """
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_run.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_run.py
index f3c197d..6a823df 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_run.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_run.py
@@ -200,11 +200,11 @@ class TestMagicRunSimple(tt.TempFileMixin):
                "%%run '%s' C-third\n") % (tc, tc, tc)
         self.mktmp(src, '.ipy')
         out = """\
-ARGV 1-: [{u}'C-first']
-ARGV 1-: [{u}'C-second']
+ARGV 1-: ['C-first']
+ARGV 1-: ['C-second']
 tclass.py: deleting object: C-first
-ARGV 1-: [{u}'C-third']
+ARGV 1-: ['C-third']
 tclass.py: deleting object: C-second
 tclass.py: deleting object: C-third
 """
-        tt.ipexec_validate(self.fname, py3compat.u_format(out))
+        tt.ipexec_validate(self.fname, out)