diff --git a/tests/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch.py b/tests/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch.py
index 24077bd591..1e61af4a2b 100644
--- a/tests/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch.py
+++ b/tests/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch/test_eigenvalue_genperbatch.py
@@ -3,42 +3,55 @@
 import os
 from subprocess import Popen, STDOUT, PIPE, call
 import filecmp
-from nose_mpi import NoseMPI
 import glob
+from optparse import OptionParser
 
-pwd = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-
-def setup(): 
-    os.putenv('PWD', pwd)
-    os.chdir(pwd)
+parser = OptionParser()
+parser.add_option('--mpi_exec', dest='mpi_exec', default='')
+parser.add_option('--mpi_np', dest='mpi_np', default='3')
+parser.add_option('--exe', dest='exe')
+(opts, args) = parser.parse_args()
+cwd = os.getcwd()
 
 def test_run():
-    openmc_path = pwd + '/../../src/openmc'
-    if int(NoseMPI.mpi_np) > 0:
-        proc = Popen([NoseMPI.mpi_exec, '-np', NoseMPI.mpi_np, openmc_path],
+    if opts.mpi_exec != '':
+        proc = Popen([opts.mpi_exec, '-np', opts.mpi_np, opts.exe, cwd],
                stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     else:
-        proc = Popen([openmc_path], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
+        proc = Popen([opts.exe, cwd], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     print(proc.communicate()[0])
     returncode = proc.returncode
-    assert returncode == 0
+    assert returncode == 0, 'OpenMC did not exit successfully.'
 
 def test_created_statepoint():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.7.*')
-    assert len(statepoint) == 1
-    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.7.*')
+    assert len(statepoint) == 1, 'Either multiple or no statepoint files exist.'
+    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5'),\
+        'Statepoint file is not a binary or hdf5 file.'
 
 def test_results():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.7.*')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.7.*')
     call(['python', 'results.py', statepoint[0]])
     compare = filecmp.cmp('results_test.dat', 'results_true.dat')
     if not compare:
       os.rename('results_test.dat', 'results_error.dat')
-    assert compare
+    assert compare, 'Results do not agree.'
 
 def teardown():
-    output = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.7.*')
-    output.append(pwd + '/results_test.dat')
+    output = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.7.*')
+    output.append(cwd + '/results_test.dat')
     for f in output:
         if os.path.exists(f):
             os.remove(f)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+
+    # test for openmc executable
+    if opts.exe == None:
+        raise Exception('Must specify OpenMC executable from command line with --exe.')
+
+    # run tests
+    test_run()
+    test_created_statepoint()
+    test_results()
+    teardown()
diff --git a/tests/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive.py b/tests/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive.py
index 64d20b6115..54733fb13c 100644
--- a/tests/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive.py
+++ b/tests/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive/test_eigenvalue_no_inactive.py
@@ -3,42 +3,55 @@
 import os
 from subprocess import Popen, STDOUT, PIPE, call
 import filecmp
-from nose_mpi import NoseMPI
 import glob
+from optparse import OptionParser
 
-pwd = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-
-def setup(): 
-    os.putenv('PWD', pwd)
-    os.chdir(pwd)
+parser = OptionParser()
+parser.add_option('--mpi_exec', dest='mpi_exec', default='')
+parser.add_option('--mpi_np', dest='mpi_np', default='3')
+parser.add_option('--exe', dest='exe')
+(opts, args) = parser.parse_args()
+cwd = os.getcwd()
 
 def test_run():
-    openmc_path = pwd + '/../../src/openmc'
-    if int(NoseMPI.mpi_np) > 0:
-        proc = Popen([NoseMPI.mpi_exec, '-np', NoseMPI.mpi_np, openmc_path],
+    if opts.mpi_exec != '':
+        proc = Popen([opts.mpi_exec, '-np', opts.mpi_np, opts.exe, cwd],
                stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     else:
-        proc = Popen([openmc_path], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
+        proc = Popen([opts.exe, cwd], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     print(proc.communicate()[0])
     returncode = proc.returncode
-    assert returncode == 0
+    assert returncode == 0, 'OpenMC did not exit successfully.'
 
 def test_created_statepoint():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
-    assert len(statepoint) == 1
-    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    assert len(statepoint) == 1, 'Either multiple or no statepoint files exist.'
+    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5'),\
+        'Statepoint file is not a binary or hdf5 file.'
 
 def test_results():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
     call(['python', 'results.py', statepoint[0]])
     compare = filecmp.cmp('results_test.dat', 'results_true.dat')
     if not compare:
       os.rename('results_test.dat', 'results_error.dat')
-    assert compare
+    assert compare, 'Results do not agree.'
 
 def teardown():
-    output = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
-    output.append(pwd + '/results_test.dat')
+    output = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    output.append(cwd + '/results_test.dat')
     for f in output:
         if os.path.exists(f):
             os.remove(f)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+
+    # test for openmc executable
+    if opts.exe == None:
+        raise Exception('Must specify OpenMC executable from command line with --exe.')
+
+    # run tests
+    test_run()
+    test_created_statepoint()
+    test_results()
+    teardown()
diff --git a/tests/test_energy_grid/test_energy_grid.py b/tests/test_energy_grid/test_energy_grid.py
index 64d20b6115..54733fb13c 100644
--- a/tests/test_energy_grid/test_energy_grid.py
+++ b/tests/test_energy_grid/test_energy_grid.py
@@ -3,42 +3,55 @@
 import os
 from subprocess import Popen, STDOUT, PIPE, call
 import filecmp
-from nose_mpi import NoseMPI
 import glob
+from optparse import OptionParser
 
-pwd = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-
-def setup(): 
-    os.putenv('PWD', pwd)
-    os.chdir(pwd)
+parser = OptionParser()
+parser.add_option('--mpi_exec', dest='mpi_exec', default='')
+parser.add_option('--mpi_np', dest='mpi_np', default='3')
+parser.add_option('--exe', dest='exe')
+(opts, args) = parser.parse_args()
+cwd = os.getcwd()
 
 def test_run():
-    openmc_path = pwd + '/../../src/openmc'
-    if int(NoseMPI.mpi_np) > 0:
-        proc = Popen([NoseMPI.mpi_exec, '-np', NoseMPI.mpi_np, openmc_path],
+    if opts.mpi_exec != '':
+        proc = Popen([opts.mpi_exec, '-np', opts.mpi_np, opts.exe, cwd],
                stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     else:
-        proc = Popen([openmc_path], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
+        proc = Popen([opts.exe, cwd], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     print(proc.communicate()[0])
     returncode = proc.returncode
-    assert returncode == 0
+    assert returncode == 0, 'OpenMC did not exit successfully.'
 
 def test_created_statepoint():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
-    assert len(statepoint) == 1
-    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    assert len(statepoint) == 1, 'Either multiple or no statepoint files exist.'
+    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5'),\
+        'Statepoint file is not a binary or hdf5 file.'
 
 def test_results():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
     call(['python', 'results.py', statepoint[0]])
     compare = filecmp.cmp('results_test.dat', 'results_true.dat')
     if not compare:
       os.rename('results_test.dat', 'results_error.dat')
-    assert compare
+    assert compare, 'Results do not agree.'
 
 def teardown():
-    output = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
-    output.append(pwd + '/results_test.dat')
+    output = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    output.append(cwd + '/results_test.dat')
     for f in output:
         if os.path.exists(f):
             os.remove(f)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+
+    # test for openmc executable
+    if opts.exe == None:
+        raise Exception('Must specify OpenMC executable from command line with --exe.')
+
+    # run tests
+    test_run()
+    test_created_statepoint()
+    test_results()
+    teardown()
diff --git a/tests/test_entropy/test_entropy.py b/tests/test_entropy/test_entropy.py
index 64d20b6115..404b94634f 100644
--- a/tests/test_entropy/test_entropy.py
+++ b/tests/test_entropy/test_entropy.py
@@ -3,42 +3,56 @@
 import os
 from subprocess import Popen, STDOUT, PIPE, call
 import filecmp
-from nose_mpi import NoseMPI
 import glob
+from optparse import OptionParser
 
-pwd = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+parser = OptionParser()
+parser.add_option('--mpi_exec', dest='mpi_exec', default='')
+parser.add_option('--mpi_np', dest='mpi_np', default='3')
+parser.add_option('--exe', dest='exe')
+(opts, args) = parser.parse_args()
+cwd = os.getcwd()
 
-def setup(): 
-    os.putenv('PWD', pwd)
-    os.chdir(pwd)
 
 def test_run():
-    openmc_path = pwd + '/../../src/openmc'
-    if int(NoseMPI.mpi_np) > 0:
-        proc = Popen([NoseMPI.mpi_exec, '-np', NoseMPI.mpi_np, openmc_path],
+    if opts.mpi_exec != '':
+        proc = Popen([opts.mpi_exec, '-np', opts.mpi_np, opts.exe, cwd],
                stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     else:
-        proc = Popen([openmc_path], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
+        proc = Popen([opts.exe, cwd], stderr=STDOUT, stdout=PIPE)
     print(proc.communicate()[0])
     returncode = proc.returncode
-    assert returncode == 0
+    assert returncode == 0, 'OpenMC did not exit successfully.'
 
 def test_created_statepoint():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
-    assert len(statepoint) == 1
-    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    assert len(statepoint) == 1, 'Either multiple or no statepoint files exist.'
+    assert statepoint[0].endswith('binary') or statepoint[0].endswith('h5'),\
+        'Statepoint file is not a binary or hdf5 file.'
 
 def test_results():
-    statepoint = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    statepoint = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
     call(['python', 'results.py', statepoint[0]])
     compare = filecmp.cmp('results_test.dat', 'results_true.dat')
     if not compare:
       os.rename('results_test.dat', 'results_error.dat')
-    assert compare
+    assert compare, 'Results do not agree.'
 
 def teardown():
-    output = glob.glob(pwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
-    output.append(pwd + '/results_test.dat')
+    output = glob.glob(cwd + '/statepoint.10.*')
+    output.append(cwd + '/results_test.dat')
     for f in output:
         if os.path.exists(f):
             os.remove(f)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+
+    # test for openmc executable
+    if opts.exe == None:
+        raise Exception('Must specify OpenMC executable from command line with --exe.')
+
+    # run tests
+    test_run()
+    test_created_statepoint()
+    test_results()
+    teardown()