diff --git a/src/openforms/forms/tests/variables/test_model.py b/src/openforms/forms/tests/variables/test_model.py
index 101f8c1b51..8f9551bf28 100644
--- a/src/openforms/forms/tests/variables/test_model.py
+++ b/src/openforms/forms/tests/variables/test_model.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def test_user_defined_variables_cast_initial_value(self):
             FormVariableDataTypes.float: [None, "", 1.4],
             FormVariableDataTypes.datetime: [
                 "",
-                "Invalid date",
+                "Invalid datetime",
                 "2022-09-05",
                 "2022-09-08T00:00:00+02:00",
             ],
@@ -122,6 +122,12 @@ def test_user_defined_variables_cast_initial_value(self):
                 "11:30:00",
                 "2022-09-08T11:30:00+02:00",
             ],
+            FormVariableDataTypes.date: [
+                "",
+                "Invalid date",
+                "2022-09-05",
+                "2022-09-08T00:00:00+02:00",
+            ],
         }
 
         expected_values = {
@@ -149,6 +155,12 @@ def test_user_defined_variables_cast_initial_value(self):
                 "11:30:00",
                 "2022-09-08T11:30:00+02:00",
             ],
+            FormVariableDataTypes.date: [
+                "",
+                "",
+                "2022-09-05",
+                "2022-09-08T00:00:00+02:00",
+            ],
         }
 
         for data_type, data_type_label in FormVariableDataTypes.choices:
diff --git a/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_get_submission_step.py b/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_get_submission_step.py
index 61551526f5..80690320e6 100644
--- a/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_get_submission_step.py
+++ b/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_get_submission_step.py
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ def test_dynamic_date_component_config_based_on_variables(self):
             submission=submission,
             key="userDefinedDate",
             form_variable__user_defined=True,
-            form_variable__data_type=FormVariableDataTypes.datetime,
+            form_variable__data_type=FormVariableDataTypes.date,
             value="2022-12-31",
         )
         endpoint = reverse(
diff --git a/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_variables/test_model.py b/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_variables/test_model.py
index 52cb6956a6..0e7562f378 100644
--- a/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_variables/test_model.py
+++ b/src/openforms/submissions/tests/test_variables/test_model.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def test_to_python(self):
         with self.subTest("date 1"):
             date_var1 = SubmissionValueVariableFactory.create(
                 form_variable__user_defined=True,
-                form_variable__data_type=FormVariableDataTypes.datetime,
+                form_variable__data_type=FormVariableDataTypes.date,
                 value="2022-09-13",
             )
 
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ def test_to_python(self):
             # -> fall back to stored value
             self.assertEqual(date_value2, "2022-09-13")
 
-        with self.subTest("date 3"):
+        with self.subTest("datetime 1"):
             date_var3 = SubmissionValueVariableFactory.create(
                 form_variable__user_defined=True,
                 form_variable__data_type=FormVariableDataTypes.datetime,
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ def test_to_python(self):
             expected = timezone.make_aware(datetime(2022, 9, 13, 11, 10, 45))
             self.assertEqual(date_value3, expected)
 
-        with self.subTest("date 4 (naive datetime)"):
+        with self.subTest("datetime 2 (naive datetime)"):
             date_var3 = SubmissionValueVariableFactory.create(
                 form_variable__user_defined=True,
                 form_variable__data_type=FormVariableDataTypes.datetime,