diff --git a/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/Controllers/MenuItemsViewControllerTests.swift b/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/Controllers/MenuItemsViewControllerTests.swift
index a102ad933d55..366351356136 100644
--- a/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/Controllers/MenuItemsViewControllerTests.swift
+++ b/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/Controllers/MenuItemsViewControllerTests.swift
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
-import UIKit
 import XCTest
 
-@testable import WordPress
-
 class MenuItemsViewControllerTests: XCTestCase {
 
     private var context: NSManagedObjectContext!
@@ -20,53 +17,96 @@ class MenuItemsViewControllerTests: XCTestCase {
 
     /// Tests that no string is provided when there is nothing to announce.
     func testOrderingChangeVOStringNoChanges() {
-        let noChanges = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(nil, parentChanged: false, before: nil, after: nil)
+        let noChanges = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            nil,
+            parentChanged: false,
+            before: nil,
+            after: nil
+        )
         XCTAssertNil(noChanges)
 
-        let newParent = MenuItem(context: context)
-        newParent.name = "New Parent"
+        let newParent = newMenuItem(named: "New Parent")
 
         /// This is a programming error. parentChanged should always be set to true if the parent indeed changed.
-        let parentChangedFalse = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(newParent, parentChanged: false, before: nil, after: nil)
+        let parentChangedFalse = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            newParent,
+            parentChanged: false,
+            before: nil,
+            after: nil
+        )
         XCTAssertNil(parentChangedFalse)
     }
 
     /// Tests handling of changes to the menu item's parent.
     func testOrderingChangeVOStringParentChanged() {
-        let newParent = MenuItem(context: context)
-        newParent.name = "New Parent"
-
-        /// test when the parent changed but it was the top level (no parent)
-        let topLevelString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(nil, parentChanged: true, before: nil, after: nil)
+        let newParent = newMenuItem(named: "New Parent")
+
+        let topLevelString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            nil,
+            parentChanged: true,
+            before: nil,
+            after: nil
+        )
         XCTAssertEqual(topLevelString, "Top level")
 
-        /// test when the parent changed and it was a menu item
-        let newParentString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(newParent, parentChanged: true, before: nil, after: nil)
+        let newParentString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            newParent,
+            parentChanged: true,
+            before: nil,
+            after: nil
+        )
         XCTAssertEqual(newParentString, "Child of New Parent")
     }
 
     /// Tests handling of changes to the menu item's parent and order.
     func testOrderingChangeVOString() {
-        let newParent = MenuItem(context: context)
-        newParent.name = "New Parent"
-
-        let afterItem = MenuItem(context: context)
-        afterItem.name = "Item A"
-
-        let beforeItem = MenuItem(context: context)
-        beforeItem.name = "Item B"
-
-        let beforeString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(nil, parentChanged: false, before: beforeItem, after: nil)
+        let newParent = newMenuItem(named: "New Parent")
+        let afterItem = newMenuItem(named: "Item A")
+        let beforeItem = newMenuItem(named: "Item B")
+
+        let beforeString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            nil,
+            parentChanged: false,
+            before: beforeItem,
+            after: nil
+        )
         XCTAssertEqual(beforeString, "Before Item B")
 
-        let afterString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(nil, parentChanged: false, before: nil, after: afterItem)
+        let afterString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            nil,
+            parentChanged: false,
+            before: nil,
+            after: afterItem
+        )
         XCTAssertEqual(afterString, "After Item A")
 
-        let parentAndBeforeString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(newParent, parentChanged: true, before: beforeItem, after: nil)
+        let parentAndBeforeString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            newParent,
+            parentChanged: true,
+            before: beforeItem,
+            after: nil
+        )
         XCTAssertEqual(parentAndBeforeString, "Child of New Parent. Before Item B")
 
-        let parentAndBeforeAndAfterString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(newParent, parentChanged: true, before: beforeItem, after: afterItem)
+        let parentAndBeforeAndAfterString = MenuItemsViewController.generateOrderingChangeVOString(
+            newParent,
+            parentChanged: true,
+            before: beforeItem,
+            after: afterItem
+        )
         XCTAssertEqual(parentAndBeforeAndAfterString, "Child of New Parent. After Item A. Before Item B")
     }
 
+    // MARK: - Private Helpers
+
+    fileprivate func newMenuItem(named name: String) -> MenuItem {
+        let entityName = MenuItem.classNameWithoutNamespaces()
+        let entity = NSEntityDescription.insertNewObject(forEntityName: entityName, into: context)
+
+        let menuItem = entity as! MenuItem
+        // set a name to make debugging easier
+        menuItem.name = name
+
+        return menuItem
+    }
 }
diff --git a/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/MenuItemTests.swift b/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/MenuItemTests.swift
index bd60c29ce9d5..b2be819f465e 100644
--- a/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/MenuItemTests.swift
+++ b/WordPress/WordPressTest/Menus/MenuItemTests.swift
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class MenuItemTests: XCTestCase {
         context = nil
     }
 
+    /// Tests detection of descendants.
     func testIsDescendantOfItem() {
         let itemA = newMenuItem(named: "Item A")
         let itemB = newMenuItem(named: "Item B")
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class MenuItemTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertFalse(fIsNotDescendantOfA)
     }
 
+    /// Tests that the last descendant of an item is found.
     func testLastDescendantInOrderedItems() {
         let itemA = newMenuItem(named: "Item A")
         let itemB = newMenuItem(named: "Item B")
@@ -81,19 +83,17 @@ class MenuItemTests: XCTestCase {
         itemE.parent = itemD
         itemF.parent = itemD
 
-        /// Item B has a child, but is the last descendant of Item A
         let lastDescendant = itemA.lastDescendant(inOrderedItems: orderedItems)
         XCTAssertEqual(lastDescendant, itemB)
 
-        /// Item C has no descendants
         let descendantOfItemC = itemC.lastDescendant(inOrderedItems: orderedItems)
         XCTAssertEqual(descendantOfItemC, nil)
 
-        /// Item F should be the last descendant of Item D
         let descendantOfItemD = itemD.lastDescendant(inOrderedItems: orderedItems)
         XCTAssertEqual(descendantOfItemD, itemF)
     }
 
+    /// Tests that preceding siblings are found.
     func testPrecedingSiblingInOrderedItems() {
         let itemA = newMenuItem(named: "Item A")
         let itemB = newMenuItem(named: "Item B")