diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/aot.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/aot.ts
index 9ffea7ddfe83..becaecc9eae2 100644
--- a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/aot.ts
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/aot.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
-import { expectFileToMatch } from '../../utils/fs';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { ng } from '../../utils/process';
 
+/**
+ * AOT builds should contain generated component factories
+ */
 export default async function () {
   await ng('build', '--aot=true', '--configuration=development');
-  await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/main.js', 'AppComponent_Factory');
+  const content = await readFile('dist/test-project/browser/main.js', 'utf-8');
+  assert.match(content, /AppComponent_Factory/);
 }
diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/build.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/build.ts
index e6c8ef5bf1e5..2026b3988d2b 100644
--- a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/build.ts
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/build.ts
@@ -1,30 +1,33 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { getGlobalVariable } from '../../utils/env';
-import { expectFileToMatch } from '../../utils/fs';
 import { ng } from '../../utils/process';
 
+const OUTPUT_INDEX_PATH = 'dist/test-project/browser/index.html';
+
 export default async function () {
   // Development build
-  const { stdout: stdout1 } = await ng('build', '--configuration=development');
-  await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/index.html', 'main.js');
+  const { stdout: stdoutDev } = await ng('build', '--configuration=development');
+  // Console output should not contain estimated transfer size information
+  assert.doesNotMatch(stdoutDev, /Estimated transfer size/);
+  // Output index HTML file should reference main JS file
+  const devIndexContent = await readFile(OUTPUT_INDEX_PATH, 'utf-8');
+  assert.match(devIndexContent, /main\.js/);
 
-  if (stdout1.includes('Estimated transfer size')) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Expected stdout not to contain 'Estimated transfer size' but it did.\n${stdout1}`,
-    );
-  }
+  const usingApplicationBuilder = getGlobalVariable('argv')['esbuild'];
 
   // Production build
-  const { stdout: stdout2 } = await ng('build');
-  if (getGlobalVariable('argv')['esbuild']) {
-    // esbuild uses an 8 character hash and a dash as separator
-    await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/index.html', /main-[a-zA-Z0-9]{8}\.js/);
-  } else {
-    await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/index.html', /main\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{16}\.js/);
-  }
+  const { stdout: stdoutProd } = await ng('build');
+  // Console output should contain estimated transfer size information
+  assert.match(stdoutProd, /Estimated transfer size/);
+  // Output index HTML file should reference main JS file with hashing
+  const prodIndexContent = await readFile(OUTPUT_INDEX_PATH, 'utf-8');
 
-  if (!stdout2.includes('Estimated transfer size')) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Expected stdout to contain 'Estimated transfer size' but it did not.\n${stdout2}`,
-    );
+  if (usingApplicationBuilder) {
+    // application builder uses an 8 character hash and a dash as a separator
+    assert.match(prodIndexContent, /main-[a-zA-Z0-9]{8}\.js/);
+  } else {
+    // browser builder uses a 16 character hash and a period as a separator
+    assert.match(prodIndexContent, /main\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{16}\.js/);
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/command-scope.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/command-scope.ts
index 94c91e16934d..1a8c70dff561 100644
--- a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/command-scope.ts
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/command-scope.ts
@@ -1,49 +1,31 @@
-import { homedir } from 'os';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { homedir } from 'node:os';
 import { silentNg } from '../../utils/process';
-import { expectToFail } from '../../utils/utils';
 
 export default async function () {
-  const originalCwd = process.cwd();
+  // Run inside workspace
+  await silentNg('generate', 'component', 'foo', '--dry-run');
 
-  try {
-    // Run inside workspace
-    await silentNg('generate', 'component', 'foo', '--dry-run');
+  // The version command can be run in and outside of a workspace.
+  await silentNg('version');
 
-    // The version command can be run in and outside of a workspace.
-    await silentNg('version');
+  assert.rejects(
+    silentNg('new', 'proj-name', '--dry-run'),
+    /This command is not available when running the Angular CLI inside a workspace\./,
+  );
 
-    const { message: ngNewFailure } = await expectToFail(() =>
-      silentNg('new', 'proj-name', '--dry-run'),
-    );
-    if (
-      !ngNewFailure.includes(
-        'This command is not available when running the Angular CLI inside a workspace.',
-      )
-    ) {
-      throw new Error('ng new should have failed when ran inside a workspace.');
-    }
+  // Change CWD to run outside a workspace.
+  process.chdir(homedir());
 
-    // Chnage CWD to run outside a workspace.
-    process.chdir(homedir());
+  // ng generate can only be ran inside.
+  assert.rejects(
+    silentNg('generate', 'component', 'foo', '--dry-run'),
+    /This command is not available when running the Angular CLI outside a workspace\./,
+  );
 
-    // ng generate can only be ran inside.
-    const { message: ngGenerateFailure } = await expectToFail(() =>
-      silentNg('generate', 'component', 'foo', '--dry-run'),
-    );
-    if (
-      !ngGenerateFailure.includes(
-        'This command is not available when running the Angular CLI outside a workspace.',
-      )
-    ) {
-      throw new Error('ng generate should have failed when ran outside a workspace.');
-    }
+  // ng new can only be ran outside of a workspace
+  await silentNg('new', 'proj-name', '--dry-run');
 
-    // ng new can only be ran outside of a workspace
-    await silentNg('new', 'proj-name', '--dry-run');
-
-    // The version command can be run in and outside of a workspace.
-    await silentNg('version');
-  } finally {
-    process.chdir(originalCwd);
-  }
+  // The version command can be run in and outside of a workspace.
+  await silentNg('version');
 }
diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/e2e.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/e2e.ts
index 0e0b4bdcfebb..0faf2f1973e9 100644
--- a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/e2e.ts
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/e2e.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { setTimeout } from 'node:timers/promises';
 import { silentNg } from '../../utils/process';
-import { expectToFail } from '../../utils/utils';
 
 export default async function () {
-  await expectToFail(() => silentNg('e2e', 'test-project', '--dev-server-target='));
+  assert.rejects(silentNg('e2e', 'test-project', '--dev-server-target='));
 
   // These should work.
   await silentNg('e2e', 'test-project');
diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/run.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/run.ts
index 86d9481e470c..c5986a8926a4 100644
--- a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/run.ts
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/basic/run.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,28 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { readFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { getGlobalVariable } from '../../utils/env';
-import { expectFileToMatch } from '../../utils/fs';
 import { silentNg } from '../../utils/process';
 
+const OUTPUT_INDEX_PATH = 'dist/test-project/browser/index.html';
+
 export default async function () {
   // Development build
   await silentNg('run', 'test-project:build:development');
-  await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/index.html', 'main.js');
+  // Output index HTML file should reference main JS file
+  const devIndexContent = await readFile(OUTPUT_INDEX_PATH, 'utf-8');
+  assert.match(devIndexContent, /main\.js/);
+
+  const usingApplicationBuilder = getGlobalVariable('argv')['esbuild'];
 
   // Production build
   await silentNg('run', 'test-project:build');
-  if (getGlobalVariable('argv')['esbuild']) {
-    // esbuild uses an 8 character hash and a dash as separator
-    await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/index.html', /main-[a-zA-Z0-9]{8}\.js/);
+  // Output index HTML file should reference main JS file with hashing
+  const prodIndexContent = await readFile(OUTPUT_INDEX_PATH, 'utf-8');
+  if (usingApplicationBuilder) {
+    // application builder uses an 8 character hash and a dash as a separator
+    assert.match(prodIndexContent, /main-[a-zA-Z0-9]{8}\.js/);
   } else {
-    await expectFileToMatch('dist/test-project/browser/index.html', /main\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{16}\.js/);
+    // browser builder uses a 16 character hash and a period as a separator
+    assert.match(prodIndexContent, /main\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{16}\.js/);
   }
 }