diff --git a/tests/test_converter.py b/tests/test_converter.py
index f30583f..c5bb563 100644
--- a/tests/test_converter.py
+++ b/tests/test_converter.py
@@ -2,106 +2,72 @@ import pytest
 
 from gcal_sync import CalendarConverter
 
-ics_empty = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-VERSION:2.0
-PRODID:-//test//test//ES
-CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
-METHOD:PUBLISH
-END:VCALENDAR
-"""
-
-ics_empty_event = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
-"""
-
-ics_event_no_end = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com
+uid = "UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com"
+only_start_date = uid + """
 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180215
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
 """
-
-ics_event_date_val = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com
-DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180215
+date_val = only_start_date + """
 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180217
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
 """
-
-ics_event_date_duration = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com
-DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180215
+date_duration = only_start_date + """
 DURATION:P2D
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
 """
-
-ics_event_datetime_utc_val = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com
+datetime_utc_val = uid + """
 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20180319T092001Z
 DTEND:20180321T102501Z
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
 """
-
-ics_event_datetime_utc_duration = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com
+datetime_utc_duration = uid + """
 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20180319T092001Z
 DURATION:P2DT1H5M
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
 """
-
-ics_event_created_updated = """BEGIN:VCALENDAR
-BEGIN:VEVENT
-UID:uisgtr8tre93wewe0yr8wqy@test.com
-DTSTART:20180215
-DTEND:20180217
+created_updated = date_val + """
 CREATED:20180320T071155Z
 LAST-MODIFIED:20180326T120235Z
-END:VEVENT
-END:VCALENDAR
 """
 
 
+def ics_test_cal(content):
+    return "BEGIN:VCALENDAR\r\n{}END:VCALENDAR\r\n".format(content)
+
+
+def ics_test_event(content):
+    return ics_test_cal("BEGIN:VEVENT\r\n{}END:VEVENT\r\n".format(content))
+
+
 def test_empty_calendar():
     converter = CalendarConverter()
-    converter.loads(ics_empty)
+    converter.loads(ics_test_cal(""))
     evnts = converter.events_to_gcal()
     assert evnts == []
 
 
 def test_empty_event():
     converter = CalendarConverter()
-    converter.loads(ics_empty_event)
+    converter.loads(ics_test_event(""))
     with pytest.raises(KeyError):
         converter.events_to_gcal()
 
 
 def test_event_no_end():
     converter = CalendarConverter()
-    converter.loads(ics_event_no_end)
+    converter.loads(ics_test_event(only_start_date))
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         converter.events_to_gcal()
 
+
 @pytest.fixture(params=[
-("date", ics_event_date_val, '2018-02-15', '2018-02-17'),
-("date", ics_event_date_duration, '2018-02-15', '2018-02-17'),
-("dateTime", ics_event_datetime_utc_val, '2018-03-19T09:20:01.000001Z', '2018-03-21T10:25:01.000001Z'),
-("dateTime", ics_event_datetime_utc_duration, '2018-03-19T09:20:01.000001Z', '2018-03-21T10:25:01.000001Z')],
-ids=['date values', 'date duration', 'datetime utc values', 'datetime utc duration']
+    ("date", ics_test_event(date_val), '2018-02-15', '2018-02-17'),
+    ("date", ics_test_event(date_duration), '2018-02-15', '2018-02-17'),
+    ("dateTime", ics_test_event(datetime_utc_val),
+     '2018-03-19T09:20:01.000001Z', '2018-03-21T10:25:01.000001Z'),
+    ("dateTime", ics_test_event(datetime_utc_duration), '2018-03-19T09:20:01.000001Z', '2018-03-21T10:25:01.000001Z')],
+    ids=['date values', 'date duration',
+         'datetime utc values', 'datetime utc duration']
 )
 def param_events_start_end(request):
     return request.param
 
+
 def test_event_start_end(param_events_start_end):
     (date_type, ics_str, start, end) = param_events_start_end
     converter = CalendarConverter()
@@ -116,9 +82,10 @@ def test_event_start_end(param_events_start_end):
         date_type: end
     }
 
+
 def test_event_created_updated():
     converter = CalendarConverter()
-    converter.loads(ics_event_created_updated)
+    converter.loads(ics_test_event(created_updated))
     events = converter.events_to_gcal()
     assert len(events) == 1
     event = events[0]