diff --git a/test/README.md b/test/README.md
index b79a8efb795f44..949a275792abb0 100644
--- a/test/README.md
+++ b/test/README.md
@@ -187,16 +187,18 @@ Platform normalizes the `dd` command
 
 Check if there is more than 1gb of total memory.
 
-### expectsError(code[, type[, message]])
-* `code` [<String>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Data_structures#String_type)
-  expected error must have this value for its `code` property
-* `type` [<Function>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Function)
-  expected error must be an instance of `type`
-* `message` [<String>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Data_structures#String_type)
-  or [<RegExp>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/RegExp)
-  if a string is provided for `message`, expected error must have it for its
-  `message` property; if a regular expression is provided for `message`, the
-  regular expression must match the `message` property of the expected error
+### expectsError(settings)
+* `settings` [<Object>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object)
+  with the following optional properties:
+  * `code` [<String>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Data_structures#String_type)
+    expected error must have this value for its `code` property
+  * `type` [<Function>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Function)
+    expected error must be an instance of `type`
+  * `message` [<String>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Data_structures#String_type)
+    or [<RegExp>](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/RegExp)
+    if a string is provided for `message`, expected error must have it for its
+    `message` property; if a regular expression is provided for `message`, the
+    regular expression must match the `message` property of the expected error
 
 * return function suitable for use as a validation function passed as the second
   argument to `assert.throws()`
diff --git a/test/common.js b/test/common.js
index 270115263e6cd1..99ea679114c038 100644
--- a/test/common.js
+++ b/test/common.js
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ exports.WPT = {
 };
 
 // Useful for testing expected internal/error objects
-exports.expectsError = function expectsError(code, type, message) {
+exports.expectsError = function expectsError({code, type, message}) {
   return function(error) {
     assert.strictEqual(error.code, code);
     if (type !== undefined)
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-debug-agent.js b/test/parallel/test-debug-agent.js
index d2f57a0bf80550..c4e8d642e4999d 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-debug-agent.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-debug-agent.js
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ const debug = require('_debug_agent');
 
 assert.throws(
   () => { debug.start(); },
-  common.expectsError(
-    undefined,
-    assert.AssertionError,
-    'Debugger agent running without bindings!'
-  )
+  common.expectsError({ type: assert.AssertionError,
+                        message: 'Debugger agent running without bindings!' })
 );
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-http-request-invalid-method-error.js b/test/parallel/test-http-request-invalid-method-error.js
index 00f593fa6f9701..470f51a08fbc4e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-http-request-invalid-method-error.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-http-request-invalid-method-error.js
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ const http = require('http');
 
 assert.throws(
   () => { http.request({method: '\0'}); },
-  common.expectsError(undefined, TypeError, 'Method must be a valid HTTP token')
+  common.expectsError({ type: TypeError,
+                        message: 'Method must be a valid HTTP token' })
 );
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js b/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js
index 526e6befaf89e8..354209fbadaade 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js
@@ -82,35 +82,39 @@ assert.throws(
 assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     throw new errors.TypeError('TEST_ERROR_1', 'a');
-  }, common.expectsError('TEST_ERROR_1'));
+  }, common.expectsError({ code: 'TEST_ERROR_1' }));
 });
 
 assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     throw new errors.TypeError('TEST_ERROR_1', 'a');
-  }, common.expectsError('TEST_ERROR_1', TypeError, /^Error for testing/));
+  }, common.expectsError({ code: 'TEST_ERROR_1',
+                           type: TypeError,
+                           message: /^Error for testing/ }));
 });
 
 assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     throw new errors.TypeError('TEST_ERROR_1', 'a');
-  }, common.expectsError('TEST_ERROR_1', TypeError));
+  }, common.expectsError({ code: 'TEST_ERROR_1', type: TypeError }));
 });
 
 assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     throw new errors.TypeError('TEST_ERROR_1', 'a');
-  }, common.expectsError('TEST_ERROR_1', Error));
+  }, common.expectsError({ code: 'TEST_ERROR_1', type: Error }));
 });
 
 assert.throws(() => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     throw new errors.TypeError('TEST_ERROR_1', 'a');
-  }, common.expectsError('TEST_ERROR_1', RangeError));
+  }, common.expectsError({ code: 'TEST_ERROR_1', type: RangeError }));
 }, /^AssertionError: .+ is not the expected type \S/);
 
 assert.throws(() => {
   assert.throws(() => {
     throw new errors.TypeError('TEST_ERROR_1', 'a');
-  }, common.expectsError('TEST_ERROR_1', TypeError, /^Error for testing 2/));
+  }, common.expectsError({ code: 'TEST_ERROR_1',
+                           type: TypeError,
+                           message: /^Error for testing 2/ }));
 }, /AssertionError: .+ does not match \S/);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-require-invalid-package.js b/test/parallel/test-require-invalid-package.js
index 54ffaabe2ec3f2..606fabd0e2f73d 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-require-invalid-package.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-require-invalid-package.js
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 
 // Should be an invalid package path.
 assert.throws(() => require('package.json'),
-              common.expectsError('MODULE_NOT_FOUND')
+              common.expectsError({ code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND' })
 );