diff --git a/spring-ai-model/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/prompt/PromptTemplateBuilderTests.java b/spring-ai-model/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/prompt/PromptTemplateBuilderTests.java
index 6b23d2f8e73..001433c2bc9 100644
--- a/spring-ai-model/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/prompt/PromptTemplateBuilderTests.java
+++ b/spring-ai-model/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/prompt/PromptTemplateBuilderTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatIllegalStateException;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 
 /**
@@ -134,14 +135,8 @@ void builderWithMultipleMissingVariablesShouldThrow() {
 			.template("Processing {item} with {type} at {level}")
 			.build();
 
-		try {
-			promptTemplate.render();
-			Assertions.fail("Expected IllegalStateException was not thrown.");
-		}
-		catch (IllegalStateException e) {
-			assertThat(e.getMessage()).contains("Not all variables were replaced in the template");
-			assertThat(e.getMessage()).contains("item", "type", "level");
-		}
+		assertThatIllegalStateException().isThrownBy(promptTemplate::render)
+			.withMessageContainingAll("Not all variables were replaced in the template", "item", "type", "level");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -155,13 +150,8 @@ void builderWithPartialVariablesShouldThrow() {
 			.variables(variables)
 			.build();
 
-		try {
-			promptTemplate.render();
-			Assertions.fail("Expected IllegalStateException was not thrown.");
-		}
-		catch (IllegalStateException e) {
-			assertThat(e.getMessage()).contains("Missing variable names are: [type]");
-		}
+		assertThatIllegalStateException().isThrownBy(promptTemplate::render)
+			.withMessageContaining("Missing variable names are: [type]");
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/vector-stores/spring-ai-neo4j-store/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/vectorstore/neo4j/Neo4jVectorStoreIT.java b/vector-stores/spring-ai-neo4j-store/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/vectorstore/neo4j/Neo4jVectorStoreIT.java
index 9c73f292c8d..b851269cb59 100644
--- a/vector-stores/spring-ai-neo4j-store/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/vectorstore/neo4j/Neo4jVectorStoreIT.java
+++ b/vector-stores/spring-ai-neo4j-store/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/vectorstore/neo4j/Neo4jVectorStoreIT.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
-import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.EnabledIfEnvironmentVariable;
@@ -53,6 +52,7 @@
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatExceptionOfType;
 
 /**
  * @author Gerrit Meier
@@ -207,14 +207,10 @@ void searchWithFilters() {
 			assertThat(results).hasSize(1);
 			assertThat(results.get(0).getId()).isEqualTo(bgDocument.getId());
 
-			try {
-				vectorStore
-					.similaritySearch(SearchRequest.from(searchRequest).filterExpression("country == NL").build());
-				Assert.fail("Invalid filter expression should have been cached!");
-			}
-			catch (FilterExpressionTextParser.FilterExpressionParseException e) {
-				assertThat(e.getMessage()).contains("Line: 1:17, Error: no viable alternative at input 'NL'");
-			}
+			assertThatExceptionOfType(FilterExpressionTextParser.FilterExpressionParseException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(() -> vectorStore
+					.similaritySearch(SearchRequest.from(searchRequest).filterExpression("country == NL").build()))
+				.withMessageContaining("Line: 1:17, Error: no viable alternative at input 'NL'");
 		});
 	}