diff --git a/t/t1011-job-archive-interface.t b/t/t1011-job-archive-interface.t
index 236009163..298fdae1c 100755
--- a/t/t1011-job-archive-interface.t
+++ b/t/t1011-job-archive-interface.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-test_description='Tests for update-usage command'
+test_description='test fetching jobs and updating the fair share values for a group of users'
 
 . $(dirname $0)/sharness.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t1016-export-db.t b/t/t1016-export-db.t
index 9c0356a42..99645dd09 100755
--- a/t/t1016-export-db.t
+++ b/t/t1016-export-db.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-test_description='Test flux-account commands'
+test_description='test exporting flux-accounting database data into .csv files'
 . `dirname $0`/sharness.sh
 
 DB_PATHv1=$(pwd)/FluxAccountingTestv1.db
diff --git a/t/t1022-mf-priority-issue346.t b/t/t1022-mf-priority-issue346.t
index 4ff684364..80fc0a2f2 100755
--- a/t/t1022-mf-priority-issue346.t
+++ b/t/t1022-mf-priority-issue346.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-test_description='Test submitting jobs to queues after queue access is changed'
+test_description='test handling jobs correctly with no or some flux-accounting data in plugin'
 
 . `dirname $0`/sharness.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t1027-mf-priority-issue376.t b/t/t1027-mf-priority-issue376.t
index 4c617902e..ef22dc9c4 100755
--- a/t/t1027-mf-priority-issue376.t
+++ b/t/t1027-mf-priority-issue376.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-test_description='Test submitting jobs to queues after queue access is changed'
+test_description='test updating attributes of a job with flux-accounting limits imposed'
 
 . `dirname $0`/sharness.sh
 
diff --git a/t/t1028-mf-priority-issue385.t b/t/t1028-mf-priority-issue385.t
index 151a4b0e6..e85756309 100755
--- a/t/t1028-mf-priority-issue385.t
+++ b/t/t1028-mf-priority-issue385.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-test_description='Test submitting jobs to queues after queue access is changed'
+test_description='test handling jobs when plugin only has temporary flux-accounting data'
 
 . `dirname $0`/sharness.sh