jestjs/jest · error · Error

Jest: `failing` tests are only supported in `jest-circus`.

Error message

Jest: `failing` tests are only supported in `jest-circus`.

What it means

Thrown by `concurrentFn.failing` in jasmineAsyncInstall.ts:237. `failing` is a jest-circus-only API for tests that are expected to fail; jasmine2 does not implement it, so invoking `it.concurrent.failing(...)` throws immediately at registration time.

Source

Thrown at packages/jest-jasmine2/src/jasmineAsyncInstall.ts:237

        }
        throw new Error(
          `Jest: concurrent test "${spec.getFullName()}" must return a Promise.`,
        );
      });
    } catch (error) {
      promise = Promise.reject(error);
    }
    // Avoid triggering the uncaught promise rejection handler in case the test errors before
    // being awaited on.
    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-empty-function
    promise.catch(() => {});

    return spec;
  };

  // eslint-disable-next-line unicorn/consistent-function-scoping
  const failing = () => {
    throw new Error(
      'Jest: `failing` tests are only supported in `jest-circus`.',
    );
  };

  failing.each = () => {
    throw new Error(
      'Jest: `failing` tests are only supported in `jest-circus`.',
    );
  };
  // each is bound after the function is made concurrent, so for now it is made noop
  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-empty-function,unicorn/consistent-function-scoping
  concurrentFn.each = () => () => {};
  concurrentFn.failing = failing;

  return concurrentFn;
}

export default function jasmineAsyncInstall(

View on GitHub (pinned to f49721c78e)

Solutions

1. Switch the project to jest-circus: set `testRunner: 'jest-circus'` in config (default in Jest 27+; upgrade if older).
2. If you must stay on jasmine2, remove the `.failing` call and invert the assertion manually instead.

Example fix

// before (with jasmine2 runner)
it.concurrent.failing('known bug', async () => { expect(buggy()).toBe(true); });
// after
// jest.config.js: testRunner: 'jest-circus'

const config = require('./jest.config');
if (config.testRunner && !config.testRunner.includes('circus')) {
  throw new Error('it.concurrent.failing requires jest-circus');
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `it.concurrent.failing('x', fn)` or `test.concurrent.failing(...)` in a project whose test runner is `jasmine2` (the default before Jest 27, or when `testRunner` points at `jasmine2`).

Common situations: Copying a test from a circus-based project into a jasmine2 project; Jest version downgrade; default runner still jasmine2 in an older config.

Related errors

• Jest: `failing` tests are only supported in `jest-circus`.
• Jest: concurrent test "${specFullName}" must return a Promis
• Returning a Promise from "describe" is not supported. Tests
• A "describe" callback must not return a value.
• Todo must be called with only a description.

AI-assisted analysis of jestjs/jest@f49721c78e (2026-08-03). Data as JSON: /data/errors/68d7898c8d3d2fc5.json. Report an issue: GitHub.