diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1f435ad..006eb2f 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-2017-03-28
+2017-04-04
 
         * Version 1.3.0 released
         ========================
 
+        Raise exception instead of exiting with return code in Python tests (#1983)
         Support of map cubes lying outside RoI in ctobssim 
         Support energy boundary FITS file in ctmapcube (#1978)
         Add csebins script (#1976)
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 0ac2b8c..c2b03e8 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 New Features and Important Changes in ctools 1.3.0.dev1
 
-28 March 2017
+4 April 2017
 
 
 Introduction
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ ctools release with respect to the precedent release.
 
 Configuration
 -------------
-None
+The Python unit tests now raise exceptions instead of exiting with a non-
+zero return code so that the user is not thrown out of Python after calling
+ctools.test() and cscripts.test() (#1983).
 
 
 Python interface
diff --git a/test/test_ctbin.py b/test/test_ctbin.py
index b197e4b..6809280 100755
--- a/test/test_ctbin.py
+++ b/test/test_ctbin.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from testing import test
 class Test(test):
     """
     Test class for ctbin tool
-    
+
     This test class makes unit tests for the ctbin tool by using it from
     the command line and from Python.
     """
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ class Test(test):
     def _check_observation(self, ctbin, nevents, multiplier=1):
         """
         Check content of an observation
-        
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         ctbin : `~ctools.ctbin`
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class Test(test):
     def _check_cube(self, cube, nevents, multiplier=1):
         """
         Check content of event cube
-        
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         cube : `~gammalib.GCTAEventCube`
diff --git a/test/test_examples.py.in b/test/test_examples.py.in
index 0b9e629..7b5e5ee 100755
--- a/test/test_examples.py.in
+++ b/test/test_examples.py.in
@@ -532,5 +532,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     else:
         rc = 1
 
-    # Exit with return code
-    sys.exit(rc)
+    # Raise an exception in case of failure
+    if not success:
+        raise RuntimeError('At least one error occured during the test.')
diff --git a/test/test_python_cscripts.py b/test/test_python_cscripts.py
index 944723a..ac1c055 100755
--- a/test/test_python_cscripts.py
+++ b/test/test_python_cscripts.py
@@ -184,8 +184,9 @@ def test(installed=False, debug=False):
     if installed:
         os.system('rm -rf %s' % (path))
 
-    # Exit with return code
-    sys.exit(rc)
+    # Raise an exception in case of failure
+    if not success:
+        raise RuntimeError('At least one error occured during the test.')
 
 
 # ======================== #
diff --git a/test/test_python_ctools.py b/test/test_python_ctools.py
index 37ecbf9..9f546da 100755
--- a/test/test_python_ctools.py
+++ b/test/test_python_ctools.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # ==========================================================================
 # This scripts performs unit tests for the ctools package
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2012-2016 Juergen Knoedlseder
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2017 Juergen Knoedlseder
 #
 # This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -143,8 +143,9 @@ def test(installed=False):
     if installed:
         os.system('rm -rf %s' % (path))
 
-    # Exit with return code
-    sys.exit(rc)
+    # Raise an exception in case of failure
+    if not success:
+        raise RuntimeError('At least one error occured during the test.')
 
 
 # ======================== #