diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py
index b4d2d7dd6db7f89ff33ff05d06ebb12172f4b30c..6b24bd66b848ebfe263966fcb3aa39f7a4df66a7 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ class TestAccountsAPI(CacheIsolationTestCase, UserAPITestCase):
         ("level_of_education", "none", u"ȻħȺɍłɇs", u'"ȻħȺɍłɇs" is not a valid choice.'),
         ("country", "GB", "XY", u'"XY" is not a valid choice.'),
         ("year_of_birth", 2009, "not_an_int", u"A valid integer is required."),
-        ("name", "bob", "z" * 256, u"Ensure this value has at most 255 characters (it has 256)."),
+        ("name", "bob", "z" * 256, u"Ensure this field has no more than 255 characters."),
         ("name", u"ȻħȺɍłɇs", "   ", u"The name field must be at least 1 character long."),
         ("goals", "Smell the roses"),
         ("mailing_address", "Sesame Street"),
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/tests/test_api.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/tests/test_api.py
index 092c05aee038154d4a7f997ce6162007c0c2ad46..7f8f7199948d102ae8dd2148db0257c0412791c9 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/preferences/tests/test_api.py
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ def get_expected_validation_developer_message(preference_key, preference_value):
         preference_key=preference_key,
         preference_value=preference_value,
         error={
-            "key": [u"Ensure this value has at most 255 characters (it has 256)."]
+            "key": [u"Ensure this field has no more than 255 characters."]
         }
     )