diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/ansible-test-code-cleanup.yml b/changelogs/fragments/ansible-test-code-cleanup.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ab437a97544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/ansible-test-code-cleanup.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - ansible-test - Use ``sys.exit`` instead of ``exit``.
+  - ansible-test - Code cleanup.
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/injector/python.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/injector/python.py
index 48198805110..290b995cc17 100755
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/injector/python.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/injector/python.py
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ def main():
                     found = False
 
             if not found:
-                exit('ERROR: Could not find `coverage` module. Did you use a virtualenv created without --system-site-packages or with the wrong interpreter?')
+                sys.exit('ERROR: Could not find `coverage` module. '
+                         'Did you use a virtualenv created without --system-site-packages or with the wrong interpreter?')
 
     if name == 'python.py':
         if sys.argv[1] == '-c':
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/import/importer.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/import/importer.py
index f42ff787f0e..2b81190c5e7 100755
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/import/importer.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/import/importer.py
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def main():
             test_python_module(path, name, base_dir, messages)
 
         if messages:
-            exit(10)
+            sys.exit(10)
 
     def test_python_module(path, name, base_dir, messages):
         """Test the given python module by importing it.
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/pylint/plugins/blacklist.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/pylint/plugins/blacklist.py
index 611a30a20e5..ac53aedaa65 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/pylint/plugins/blacklist.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_data/sanity/pylint/plugins/blacklist.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class BlacklistEntry:
         """
         self.alternative = alternative
         self.modules_only = modules_only
-        self.names = set(names) if names else None
+        self.names = set(names) if names else set()
         self.ignore_paths = ignore_paths
 
     def applies_to(self, path, name=None):
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py
index d1624f78b04..341ae06e0a4 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py
@@ -183,15 +183,15 @@ def main():
         display.review_warnings()
     except ApplicationWarning as ex:
         display.warning(u'%s' % ex)
-        exit(0)
+        sys.exit(0)
     except ApplicationError as ex:
         display.error(u'%s' % ex)
-        exit(1)
+        sys.exit(1)
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
-        exit(2)
+        sys.exit(2)
     except IOError as ex:
         if ex.errno == errno.EPIPE:
-            exit(3)
+            sys.exit(3)
         raise
 
 
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ def key_value(argparse, value):  # type: (argparse_module, str) -> t.Tuple[str,
     if len(parts) != 2:
         raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError('"%s" must be in the format "key=value"' % value)
 
-    return tuple(parts)
+    return parts[0], parts[1]
 
 
 # noinspection PyProtectedMember
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cloud/vcenter.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cloud/vcenter.py
index eb387375b96..37cfa6d5e6b 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cloud/vcenter.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cloud/vcenter.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from ..util import (
     find_executable,
     display,
     ConfigParser,
+    ApplicationError,
 )
 
 from ..docker_util import (
@@ -85,8 +86,7 @@ class VcenterProvider(CloudProvider):
             self._use_static_config()
             self._setup_static()
         else:
-            display.error('Unknown vmware_test_platform: %s' % self.vmware_test_platform)
-            exit(1)
+            raise ApplicationError('Unknown vmware_test_platform: %s' % self.vmware_test_platform)
 
     def get_docker_run_options(self):
         """Get any additional options needed when delegating tests to a docker container.
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ class VcenterProvider(CloudProvider):
 
     def _setup_static(self):
         if not os.path.exists(self.config_static_path):
-            display.error('Configuration file does not exist: %s' % self.config_static_path)
-            exit(1)
+            raise ApplicationError('Configuration file does not exist: %s' % self.config_static_path)
+
         parser = ConfigParser({
             'vcenter_port': '443',
             'vmware_proxy_host': '',
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/sanity/__init__.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/sanity/__init__.py
index 70524c640f1..2fdf62e5265 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/sanity/__init__.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/sanity/__init__.py
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ class SanityTest(ABC):
         """A tuple of supported Python versions or None if the test does not depend on specific Python versions."""
         return tuple(python_version for python_version in SUPPORTED_PYTHON_VERSIONS if python_version.startswith('3.'))
 
-    def filter_targets(self, targets):  # type: (t.List[TestTarget]) -> t.List[TestTarget]
+    def filter_targets(self, targets):  # type: (t.List[TestTarget]) -> t.List[TestTarget]  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
         """Return the given list of test targets, filtered to include only those relevant for the test."""
         if self.no_targets:
             return []