diff --git a/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py b/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
index 6f29023c..23d323f1 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class ShellTestBase(utils.BaseTestCase):
             _shell.main(argstr.split())
         except SystemExit:
             exc_type, exc_value, exc_traceback = sys.exc_info()
-            self.assertEqual(exc_value.code, 0)
+            self.assertEqual(0, exc_value.code)
 
         return sys.stdout.getvalue()
 
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_utils.py b/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_utils.py
index 00bd416b..a7e7584b 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_utils.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/tests/unit/test_utils.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
                 return stdout.getvalue()
 
         printed = do_print_list(None)
-        self.assertEqual(printed, '''\
+        self.assertEqual('''\
 +-----+-----+-----+
 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
 +-----+-----+-----+
@@ -110,10 +110,10 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
 | 80  | c   | c   |
 | 120 | 0   | Z   |
 +-----+-----+-----+
-''')
+''', printed)
 
         printed = do_print_list(0)
-        self.assertEqual(printed, '''\
+        self.assertEqual('''\
 +-----+-----+-----+
 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
 +-----+-----+-----+
@@ -121,10 +121,10 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
 | 100 | a   | B   |
 | 120 | 0   | Z   |
 +-----+-----+-----+
-''')
+''', printed)
 
         printed = do_print_list(1)
-        self.assertEqual(printed, '''\
+        self.assertEqual('''\
 +-----+-----+-----+
 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
 +-----+-----+-----+
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
 | 100 | a   | B   |
 | 80  | c   | c   |
 +-----+-----+-----+
-''')
+''', printed)
 
     def test_args_array_to_dict(self):
         my_args = {
@@ -141,10 +141,10 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
         }
         cleaned_dict = utils.args_array_to_dict(my_args,
                                                 "matching_metadata")
-        self.assertEqual(cleaned_dict, {
+        self.assertEqual({
             'matching_metadata': {'metadata.key': 'metadata_value'},
             'other': 'value'
-        })
+        }, cleaned_dict)
 
     def test_args_array_to_list_of_dicts(self):
         starts = ['0 11 * * *', '"0 11 * * *"', '\'0 11 * * *\'']
@@ -182,32 +182,32 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
             'threshold_rule/comparison_operator': 'or',
         }
         nested_dict = utils.key_with_slash_to_nested_dict(my_args)
-        self.assertEqual(nested_dict, {
+        self.assertEqual({
             'combination_rule': {'alarm_ids': ['id1', 'id2'],
                                  'operator': 'and'},
             'threshold_rule': {'threshold': 400,
                                'statictic': 'avg',
                                'comparison_operator': 'or'},
-        })
+        }, nested_dict)
 
     def test_arg(self):
         @utils.arg(help="not_required_no_default.")
         def not_required_no_default():
             pass
         _, args = not_required_no_default.__dict__['arguments'][0]
-        self.assertEqual(args['help'], "not_required_no_default.")
+        self.assertEqual("not_required_no_default.", args['help'])
 
         @utils.arg(required=True, help="required_no_default.")
         def required_no_default():
             pass
         _, args = required_no_default.__dict__['arguments'][0]
-        self.assertEqual(args['help'], "required_no_default. Required.")
+        self.assertEqual("required_no_default. Required.", args['help'])
 
         @utils.arg(default=42, help="not_required_default.")
         def not_required_default():
             pass
         _, args = not_required_default.__dict__['arguments'][0]
-        self.assertEqual(args['help'], "not_required_default. Defaults to 42.")
+        self.assertEqual("not_required_default. Defaults to 42.", args['help'])
 
     def test_merge_nested_dict(self):
         dest = {'key': 'value',
@@ -220,10 +220,10 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
                              'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}}
         utils.merge_nested_dict(dest, source, depth=1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(dest, {'key': 'modified',
-                                'nested': {'key2': 'value2',
-                                           'key3': 'modified3',
-                                           'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}})
+        self.assertEqual({'key': 'modified',
+                          'nested': {'key2': 'value2',
+                                     'key3': 'modified3',
+                                     'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}}, dest)
 
     def test_merge_nested_dict_no_depth(self):
         dest = {'key': 'value',
@@ -236,9 +236,9 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
                              'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}}
         utils.merge_nested_dict(dest, source)
 
-        self.assertEqual(dest, {'key': 'modified',
-                                'nested': {'key3': 'modified3',
-                                           'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}})
+        self.assertEqual({'key': 'modified',
+                          'nested': {'key3': 'modified3',
+                                     'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}}, dest)
 
     @mock.patch('prettytable.PrettyTable')
     def test_format_nested_list_of_dict(self, pt_mock):