diff --git a/bots/thesaurus/test_thesaurus.py b/bots/thesaurus/test_thesaurus.py
index bb485a96..533b2f15 100644
--- a/bots/thesaurus/test_thesaurus.py
+++ b/bots/thesaurus/test_thesaurus.py
@@ -17,32 +17,17 @@ class TestThesaurusBot(BotTestCase):
     bot_name = "thesaurus"
 
     def test_bot(self):
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "synonym good", 'type': "private", 'sender_email': "foo"},
-            "great, satisfying, exceptional, positive, acceptable"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "synonym nice", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo"},
-            "cordial, kind, good, okay, fair"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "synonym foo", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo"},
-            "bar, thud, X, baz, corge"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "antonym dirty", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo"},
-            "ordered, sterile, spotless, moral, clean"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "antonym bar", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo"},
-            "loss, whole, advantage, aid, failure"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo"},
-            ("To use this bot, start messages with either "
-             "@mention-bot synonym (to get the synonyms of a given word) "
-             "or @mention-bot antonym (to get the antonyms of a given word). "
-             "Phrases are not accepted so only use single words "
-             "to search. For example you could search '@mention-bot synonym hello' "
-             "or '@mention-bot antonym goodbye'."),
-        )
+        expected = {
+            "synonym good": "great, satisfying, exceptional, positive, acceptable",
+            "synonym nice": "cordial, kind, good, okay, fair",
+            "synonym foo": "bar, thud, X, baz, corge",
+            "antonym dirty": "ordered, sterile, spotless, moral, clean",
+            "antonym bar": "loss, whole, advantage, aid, failure",
+            "": ("To use this bot, start messages with either "
+                 "@mention-bot synonym (to get the synonyms of a given word) "
+                 "or @mention-bot antonym (to get the antonyms of a given word). "
+                 "Phrases are not accepted so only use single words "
+                 "to search. For example you could search '@mention-bot synonym hello' "
+                 "or '@mention-bot antonym goodbye'."),
+        }
+        self.check_expected_responses(expected)
diff --git a/bots/virtual_fs/test_virtual_fs.py b/bots/virtual_fs/test_virtual_fs.py
index f7b60eab..644f340c 100644
--- a/bots/virtual_fs/test_virtual_fs.py
+++ b/bots/virtual_fs/test_virtual_fs.py
@@ -17,55 +17,40 @@ class TestVirtualFsBot(BotTestCase):
     bot_name = "virtual_fs"
 
     def test_bot(self):
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "cd /home", 'type': "private", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'sender_email': "foo_sender@zulip.com"},
-            "foo_sender@zulip.com:\nERROR: invalid path"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "mkdir home", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo", 'sender_email': "foo_sender@zulip.com"},
-            "foo_sender@zulip.com:\ndirectory created"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "pwd", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo", 'sender_email': "foo_sender@zulip.com"},
-            "foo_sender@zulip.com:\n/"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "help", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo", 'sender_email': "foo_sender@zulip.com"},
-            ('foo_sender@zulip.com:\n\nThis bot implements a virtual file system for a stream.\n'
-             'The locations of text are persisted for the lifetime of the bot\n'
-             'running, and if you rename a stream, you will lose the info.\n'
-             'Example commands:\n\n```\n'
-             '@mention-bot sample_conversation: sample conversation with the bot\n'
-             '@mention-bot mkdir: create a directory\n'
-             '@mention-bot ls: list a directory\n'
-             '@mention-bot cd: change directory\n'
-             '@mention-bot pwd: show current path\n'
-             '@mention-bot write: write text\n'
-             '@mention-bot read: read text\n'
-             '@mention-bot rm: remove a file\n'
-             '@mention-bot rmdir: remove a directory\n'
-             '```\n'
-             'Use commands like `@mention-bot help write` for more details on specific\ncommands.\n'),
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "help ls", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo", 'sender_email': "foo_sender@zulip.com"},
-            "foo_sender@zulip.com:\nsyntax: ls <optional_path>"
-        )
-        self.assert_bot_output(
-            {'content': "", 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': "foo", 'subject': "foo", 'sender_email': "foo_sender@zulip.com"},
-            ('foo_sender@zulip.com:\n\nThis bot implements a virtual file system for a stream.\n'
-             'The locations of text are persisted for the lifetime of the bot\n'
-             'running, and if you rename a stream, you will lose the info.\n'
-             'Example commands:\n\n```\n'
-             '@mention-bot sample_conversation: sample conversation with the bot\n'
-             '@mention-bot mkdir: create a directory\n'
-             '@mention-bot ls: list a directory\n'
-             '@mention-bot cd: change directory\n'
-             '@mention-bot pwd: show current path\n'
-             '@mention-bot write: write text\n'
-             '@mention-bot read: read text\n'
-             '@mention-bot rm: remove a file\n'
-             '@mention-bot rmdir: remove a directory\n'
-             '```\n'
-             'Use commands like `@mention-bot help write` for more details on specific\ncommands.\n'),
-        )
+        expected = {
+            "cd /home": "foo_sender@zulip.com:\nERROR: invalid path",
+            "mkdir home": "foo_sender@zulip.com:\ndirectory created",
+            "pwd": "foo_sender@zulip.com:\n/",
+            "help": ('foo_sender@zulip.com:\n\nThis bot implements a virtual file system for a stream.\n'
+                     'The locations of text are persisted for the lifetime of the bot\n'
+                     'running, and if you rename a stream, you will lose the info.\n'
+                     'Example commands:\n\n```\n'
+                     '@mention-bot sample_conversation: sample conversation with the bot\n'
+                     '@mention-bot mkdir: create a directory\n'
+                     '@mention-bot ls: list a directory\n'
+                     '@mention-bot cd: change directory\n'
+                     '@mention-bot pwd: show current path\n'
+                     '@mention-bot write: write text\n'
+                     '@mention-bot read: read text\n'
+                     '@mention-bot rm: remove a file\n'
+                     '@mention-bot rmdir: remove a directory\n'
+                     '```\n'
+                     'Use commands like `@mention-bot help write` for more details on specific\ncommands.\n'),
+            "help ls": "foo_sender@zulip.com:\nsyntax: ls <optional_path>",
+            "": ('foo_sender@zulip.com:\n\nThis bot implements a virtual file system for a stream.\n'
+                 'The locations of text are persisted for the lifetime of the bot\n'
+                 'running, and if you rename a stream, you will lose the info.\n'
+                 'Example commands:\n\n```\n'
+                 '@mention-bot sample_conversation: sample conversation with the bot\n'
+                 '@mention-bot mkdir: create a directory\n'
+                 '@mention-bot ls: list a directory\n'
+                 '@mention-bot cd: change directory\n'
+                 '@mention-bot pwd: show current path\n'
+                 '@mention-bot write: write text\n'
+                 '@mention-bot read: read text\n'
+                 '@mention-bot rm: remove a file\n'
+                 '@mention-bot rmdir: remove a directory\n'
+                 '```\n'
+                 'Use commands like `@mention-bot help write` for more details on specific\ncommands.\n'),
+        }
+        self.check_expected_responses(expected)
diff --git a/bots_api/bots_test_lib.py b/bots_api/bots_test_lib.py
index 8555a6b5..09c66bf9 100644
--- a/bots_api/bots_test_lib.py
+++ b/bots_api/bots_test_lib.py
@@ -25,31 +25,56 @@ current_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 class BotTestCase(TestCase):
     bot_name = '' # type: str
 
-    def assert_bot_output(self, request, response):
-        # type: (Dict[str, Any], str) -> None
-        bot_module = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(current_dir, "../bots", self.bot_name, self.bot_name + ".py"))
-        self.bot_test(messages=[request], bot_module=bot_module,
-                      bot_response=[response])
-
-    def check_expected_responses(self, expectations, email="foo", recipient="foo", subject="foo", type="all"):
-        # type: (Dict[str, str], str, str, str, str) -> None
+    def check_expected_responses(self, expectations, expected_method='send_reply', email="foo_sender@zulip.com", recipient="foo", subject="foo", type="all"):
+        # type: (Dict[str, Any], str, str, str, str, str) -> None
+        # To test send_message, Any would be a Dict type,
+        # to test send_reply, Any would be a str type.
         if type not in ["private", "stream", "all"]:
             logging.exception("check_expected_response expects type to be 'private', 'stream' or 'all'")
         for m, r in expectations.items():
             if type != "stream":
-                self.assert_bot_output(
-                    {'content': m, 'type': "private", 'sender_email': email}, r)
+                self.mock_test(
+                    {'content': m, 'type': "private", 'display_recipient': recipient,
+                     'sender_email': email}, r, expected_method)
             if type != "private":
-                self.assert_bot_output(
+                self.mock_test(
                     {'content': m, 'type': "stream", 'display_recipient': recipient,
-                     'subject': subject}, r)
+                     'subject': subject, 'sender_email': email}, r, expected_method)
 
-    def mock_test(self, messages, message_handler, bot_response):
-        # message_handler is of type Any, since it can contain any bot's
+    def mock_test(self, messages, bot_response, expected_method):
+        # type: (Dict[str, str], Any, str) -> None
+        if expected_method == "send_reply":
+            self.mock_test_send_reply(messages, bot_response, expected_method)
+        else:
+            self.mock_test_send_message(messages, bot_response, expected_method)
+
+    def mock_test_send_message(self, messages, bot_response, expected_method):
+        # type: (Dict[str, str], Dict[str, str], str) -> None
+        # Since send_message function uses bot_response of type Dict, no
+        # further changes required.
+        self.assert_bot_output([messages], [bot_response], expected_method)
+
+    def mock_test_send_reply(self, messages, bot_response, expected_method):
+        # type: (Dict[str, str], str, str) -> None
+        # Since send_reply function uses bot_response of type str, we
+        # do convert the str type to a Dict type to have the same assert_bot_output function.
+        bot_response_type_dict = {'content': bot_response}
+        self.assert_bot_output([messages], [bot_response_type_dict], expected_method)
+
+    def get_bot_message_handler(self):
+        # type: () -> Any
+        # message_handler is of type 'Any', since it can contain any bot's
         # handler class. Eventually, we want bot's handler classes to
         # inherit from a common prototype specifying the handle_message
         # function.
-        # type: (List[Dict[str, Any]], Any, List[str]) -> None
+        bot_module = os.path.join(current_dir, "bots",
+                                  self.bot_name, self.bot_name + ".py")
+        message_handler = self.bot_to_run(bot_module)
+        return message_handler
+
+    def assert_bot_output(self, messages, bot_response, expected_method):
+        # type: (List[Dict[str, Any]], List[Dict[str, str]], str) -> None
+        message_handler = self.get_bot_message_handler()
         # Mocking BotHandlerApi
         with patch('bots_api.bot_lib.BotHandlerApi') as MockClass:
             instance = MockClass.return_value
@@ -57,19 +82,16 @@ class BotTestCase(TestCase):
             for (message, response) in zip(messages, bot_response):
                 # Send message to the concerned bot
                 message_handler.handle_message(message, MockClass(), StateHandler())
-
-                # Check if BotHandlerApi is sending a reply message.
-                # This can later be modified to assert the contents of BotHandlerApi.send_message
-                instance.send_reply.assert_called_with(message, response)
+                # Check if the bot is sending a message via `send_message` function.
+                # Where response is a dictionary here.
+                if expected_method == "send_message":
+                    instance.send_message.assert_called_with(response)
+                else:
+                    instance.send_reply.assert_called_with(message, response['content'])
 
     def bot_to_run(self, bot_module):
-        # Returning Any, same argument as in mock_test function.
+        # Returning Any, same argument as in get_bot_message_handler function.
         # type: (str) -> Any
         lib_module = get_lib_module(bot_module)
         message_handler = lib_module.handler_class()
         return message_handler
-
-    def bot_test(self, messages, bot_module, bot_response):
-        # type: (List[Dict[str, Any]], str, List[str]) -> None
-        message_handler = self.bot_to_run(bot_module)
-        self.mock_test(messages=messages, message_handler=message_handler, bot_response=bot_response)