diff --git a/test/common/wpt.js b/test/common/wpt.js
index f7a19cfec74206..d8333c19c60014 100644
--- a/test/common/wpt.js
+++ b/test/common/wpt.js
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ class WPTTestSpec {
    *                          'test.any.js'
    * @param {StatusRule[]} rules
    */
-  constructor(mod, filename, rules, version) {
-    this.version = version;
+  constructor(mod, filename, rules) {
     this.module = mod;
     this.filename = filename;
 
@@ -161,17 +160,8 @@ class WPTTestSpec {
           this.requires.add(req);
         }
       }
-      switch (this.version) {
-        case 1:
-          if (item.fail) {
-            this.failReasons.push(item.fail);
-          }
-          break;
-        case 2:
-        default:
-          if (Array.isArray(item.fail?.expected)) {
-            this.failReasons.push(...item.fail.expected);
-          }
+      if (Array.isArray(item.fail?.expected)) {
+        this.failReasons.push(...item.fail.expected);
       }
       if (item.skip) {
         this.skipReasons.push(item.skip);
@@ -270,7 +260,7 @@ class StatusLoader {
   load() {
     const dir = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'wpt');
     const statusFile = path.join(dir, 'status', `${this.path}.json`);
-    const { '$version': version, ...result } = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(statusFile, 'utf8'));
+    const result = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(statusFile, 'utf8'));
     this.rules.addRules(result);
 
     const subDir = fixtures.path('wpt', this.path);
@@ -278,7 +268,7 @@ class StatusLoader {
     for (const file of list) {
       const relativePath = path.relative(subDir, file);
       const match = this.rules.match(relativePath);
-      this.specs.push(new WPTTestSpec(this.path, relativePath, match, version));
+      this.specs.push(new WPTTestSpec(this.path, relativePath, match));
     }
     this.loaded = true;
   }
@@ -479,7 +469,7 @@ class WPTRunner {
         }
       }
       inspect.defaultOptions.depth = Infinity;
-      // sorts the rules to have consistent output
+      // Sorts the rules to have consistent output
       console.log(JSON.stringify(Object.keys(this.results).sort().reduce(
         (obj, key) => {
           obj[key] = this.results[key];
@@ -606,18 +596,10 @@ class WPTRunner {
 
   fail(filename, test, status) {
     const spec = this.specMap.get(filename);
-    let expected;
-    switch (spec.version) {
-      case 1:
-        expected = !!(spec.failReasons.length);
-        break;
-      case 2:
-      default:
-        expected = spec.failReasons.includes(test.message || reason);
-    }
+    const expected = spec.failReasons.includes(test.message || status);
     if (expected) {
       console.log(`[EXPECTED_FAILURE][${status.toUpperCase()}] ${test.name}`);
-      console.log(test.message || reason);
+      console.log(test.message || status);
     } else {
       console.log(`[UNEXPECTED_FAILURE][${status.toUpperCase()}] ${test.name}`);
     }
diff --git a/test/wpt/README.md b/test/wpt/README.md
index b8ded27ef37d78..0bb43be81703e5 100644
--- a/test/wpt/README.md
+++ b/test/wpt/README.md
@@ -91,7 +91,11 @@ add this to `test/wpt/status/url.json`:
 
 ```json
   "url-searchparams.any.js": {
-    "fail": "explain why the test fails, ideally with links"
+    "fail": {
+      "expected": [
+        "exhibited error message"
+      ]
+    }
   }
 ```
 
@@ -155,8 +159,12 @@ expected failures.
     // Optional: the test will be skipped with the reason printed
     "skip": "explain why we cannot run a test that's supposed to pass",
 
-    // Optional: the test will be skipped with the reason printed
-    "fail": "explain why we the test is expected to fail"
+    // Optional: tests failing with this message are expected
+    "fail": {
+      "expected": [
+        "exhibited error message"
+      ]
+    }
   }
 }
 ```