diff --git a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/create_assignement.spec.ts b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/create_assignment.spec.ts
similarity index 93%
rename from nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/create_assignement.spec.ts
rename to nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/create_assignment.spec.ts
index 7e42c3761..dc32183ba 100644
--- a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/create_assignement.spec.ts
+++ b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/create_assignment.spec.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ test.afterEach(async ({ request, page, tmpPath }) => {
       await page.notebook.close();
     }
   }
+  await page.kernel.shutdownAll();
 
   const contents = galata.newContentsHelper(request, page);
   await contents.deleteDirectory(tmpPath);
@@ -221,7 +222,8 @@ test("manual cell", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -262,7 +264,8 @@ test("task cell", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/task.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("task.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -302,7 +305,8 @@ test("solution cell", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -338,7 +342,8 @@ test("tests cell", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -379,7 +384,8 @@ test("tests to solution cell", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -428,7 +434,8 @@ test("locked cell", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -465,7 +472,8 @@ test("tab key", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -494,7 +502,8 @@ test("total points", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -548,7 +557,8 @@ test("task total points", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/task.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("task.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -602,7 +612,8 @@ test("cell ids", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -640,7 +651,8 @@ test("task cell ids", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/task.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("task.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -678,7 +690,8 @@ test("negative points", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -707,7 +720,8 @@ test("task negative points", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/task.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("task.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("task.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
@@ -735,7 +749,8 @@ test("schema version", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/old-schema.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("old-schema.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("old-schema.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("old-schema.ipynb");
   }
 
   // activate toolbar should show an error modal
@@ -752,7 +767,8 @@ test("invalid nbgrader cell type", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/blank.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("blank.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("blank.ipynb");
   }
 
   await activateToolbar(page);
diff --git a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/formgrader.spec.ts b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/formgrader.spec.ts
index 221897c43..a16037962 100644
--- a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/formgrader.spec.ts
+++ b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/formgrader.spec.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ test.beforeEach(async ({ request, tmpPath }) => {
   if (await contents.fileExists("nbgrader_config.py")){
     await contents.deleteFile("nbgrader_config.py");
   }
-
   await contents.uploadFile(
     path.resolve(__dirname, "./files/nbgrader_config.py"),
     "nbgrader_config.py"
diff --git a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/validate_assignment.spec.ts b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/validate_assignment.spec.ts
index 25e38c70d..c84ea8e90 100644
--- a/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/validate_assignment.spec.ts
+++ b/nbgrader/tests/ui-tests/validate_assignment.spec.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ test.afterEach(async ({ request, page, tmpPath }) => {
       await page.notebook.close();
     }
   }
+  await page.kernel.shutdownAll();
 
   const contents = galata.newContentsHelper(request, page);
   await contents.deleteDirectory(tmpPath);
@@ -108,7 +109,8 @@ test("Validation success", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/submitted-changed.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("submitted-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("submitted-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("submitted-changed.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect a success modal
@@ -128,7 +130,8 @@ test("Validation failure", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/submitted-unchanged.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("submitted-unchanged.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("submitted-unchanged.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("submitted-unchanged.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect an error modal
@@ -150,7 +153,8 @@ test("Validation grade cell changed", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/submitted-grade-cell-changed.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("submitted-grade-cell-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("submitted-grade-cell-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("submitted-grade-cell-changed.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect an error modal
@@ -172,7 +176,8 @@ test("Validation locked cell changed", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/submitted-locked-cell-changed.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("submitted-locked-cell-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("submitted-locked-cell-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("submitted-locked-cell-changed.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect an error modal
@@ -194,7 +199,8 @@ test("Validation open relative file", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/open_relative_file.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("open_relative_file.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("open_relative_file.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("open_relative_file.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect a success modal
@@ -216,7 +222,8 @@ test("Validation grade cell type changed", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/submitted-grade-cell-type-changed.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("submitted-grade-cell-type-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("submitted-grade-cell-type-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("submitted-grade-cell-type-changed.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect an error modal
@@ -238,7 +245,8 @@ test("Validation answer cell type changed", async ({ page, tmpPath }) => {
   if (isNotebook) {
     await page.goto(`notebooks/${tmpPath}/submitted-answer-cell-type-changed.ipynb`);
   } else {
-    await page.filebrowser.open("submitted-answer-cell-type-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.open("submitted-answer-cell-type-changed.ipynb");
+    await page.notebook.activate("submitted-answer-cell-type-changed.ipynb");
   }
 
   // click on validate, and expect an error modal