diff --git a/CHANGES/3852.bugfix b/CHANGES/3852.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..126817cda9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/3852.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Make the signature of `aiohttp.test_utils.TestClient.request` match `asyncio.ClientSession.request` according to the docs
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.txt b/CONTRIBUTORS.txt
index 94c04969403..ed64039f5cf 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.txt
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.txt
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ Boyi Chen
 Brett Cannon
 Brian C. Lane
 Brian Muller
+Bryan Kok
 Bryce Drennan
 Carl George
 Cecile Tonglet
diff --git a/aiohttp/test_utils.py b/aiohttp/test_utils.py
index 18234b39cba..5d9c1959ec2 100644
--- a/aiohttp/test_utils.py
+++ b/aiohttp/test_utils.py
@@ -285,8 +285,17 @@ def session(self) -> ClientSession:
     def make_url(self, path: str) -> URL:
         return self._server.make_url(path)
 
-    async def request(self, method: str, path: str,
-                      **kwargs: Any) -> ClientResponse:
+    async def _request(self, method: str, path: str,
+                       **kwargs: Any) -> ClientResponse:
+        resp = await self._session.request(
+            method, self.make_url(path), **kwargs
+        )
+        # save it to close later
+        self._responses.append(resp)
+        return resp
+
+    def request(self, method: str, path: str,
+                **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Routes a request to tested http server.
 
         The interface is identical to aiohttp.ClientSession.request,
@@ -294,53 +303,50 @@ async def request(self, method: str, path: str,
         test server.
 
         """
-        resp = await self._session.request(
-            method, self.make_url(path), **kwargs
+        return _RequestContextManager(
+            self._request(method, path, **kwargs)
         )
-        # save it to close later
-        self._responses.append(resp)
-        return resp
 
     def get(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP GET request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_GET, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_GET, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def post(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP POST request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_POST, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_POST, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def options(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP OPTIONS request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_OPTIONS, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_OPTIONS, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def head(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP HEAD request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_HEAD, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_HEAD, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def put(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP PUT request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_PUT, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_PUT, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def patch(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP PATCH request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_PATCH, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_PATCH, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def delete(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _RequestContextManager:
         """Perform an HTTP PATCH request."""
         return _RequestContextManager(
-            self.request(hdrs.METH_DELETE, path, **kwargs)
+            self._request(hdrs.METH_DELETE, path, **kwargs)
         )
 
     def ws_connect(self, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> _WSRequestContextManager: