diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-## [_Unreleased_](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.2.0.2...main)
+## [_Unreleased_](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.3.0.0...main)
+
+## [v1.3.0.0](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.2.0.2...v1.3.0.0)
+
+- Adjust `Freckle.App.Test` interface
+  - Remove `runAppTest`
+  - Add `appExample` for making a expectation concretely `AppExample`
+  - Add `expectationFailure`, and `pending(With)` helpers in `MonadIO`
 
 ## [v1.2.0.2](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.2.0.1...v1.2.0.2)
 
diff --git a/freckle-app.cabal b/freckle-app.cabal
--- a/freckle-app.cabal
+++ b/freckle-app.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:      1.18
 name:               freckle-app
-version:            1.2.0.2
+version:            1.3.0.0
 license:            MIT
 license-file:       LICENSE
 maintainer:         Freckle Education
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
@@ -5,14 +5,35 @@
 
 module Freckle.App.Test
   ( AppExample(..)
+  , appExample
   , withApp
   , withAppSql
-  , runAppTest
+  , expectationFailure
+  , pending
+  , pendingWith
+
+  -- * Re-exports
   , module X
   ) where
 
-import Freckle.App.Prelude
+import Freckle.App.Prelude as X
 
+import Data.Pool as X
+import Freckle.App.Database as X
+import Test.Hspec as X
+  ( Expectation
+  , Spec
+  , beforeAll
+  , beforeWith
+  , context
+  , describe
+  , example
+  , fit
+  , it
+  , xit
+  )
+import Test.Hspec.Expectations.Lifted as X hiding (expectationFailure)
+
 import Blammo.Logging
 import Control.Monad.Base
 import Control.Monad.Catch
@@ -22,15 +43,11 @@
 import Control.Monad.Random (MonadRandom(..))
 import Control.Monad.Reader
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Control
-import Data.Pool as X
 import Database.Persist.Sql (SqlPersistT, runSqlPool)
-import Freckle.App (runApp)
-import Freckle.App.Database as X
 import LoadEnv
-import Test.Hspec as X
-  (Spec, beforeAll, beforeWith, context, describe, example, fit, it, xit)
+import qualified Test.Hspec as Hspec hiding (expectationFailure)
 import Test.Hspec.Core.Spec (Arg, Example, SpecWith, evaluateExample)
-import Test.Hspec.Expectations.Lifted as X
+import qualified Test.Hspec.Expectations.Lifted as Hspec (expectationFailure)
 
 -- | An Hspec example over some @App@ value
 --
@@ -85,6 +102,17 @@
     params
     ($ ())
 
+-- | A type restricted version of id
+--
+-- Like 'example', which forces the expectation to 'IO', this can be used to
+-- force the expectation to 'AppExample'.
+--
+-- This can be used to avoid ambiguity errors when your expectation uses only
+-- polymorphic functions like 'runDB' or lifted 'shouldBe' et-al.
+--
+appExample :: AppExample app a -> AppExample app a
+appExample = id
+
 -- | Spec before helper
 --
 -- @
@@ -112,8 +140,11 @@
 loadEnvTest :: IO ()
 loadEnvTest = loadEnvFrom ".env.test" >> loadEnv
 
--- | Run an action with the test @App@
-runAppTest :: HasLogger app => ReaderT app (LoggingT IO) a -> AppExample app a
-runAppTest action = do
-  app <- ask
-  liftIO $ runApp app action
+expectationFailure :: MonadIO m => String -> m ()
+expectationFailure msg = Hspec.expectationFailure msg >> error "unreachable"
+
+pending :: MonadIO m => m ()
+pending = liftIO Hspec.pending
+
+pendingWith :: MonadIO m => String -> m ()
+pendingWith msg = liftIO $ Hspec.pendingWith msg
diff --git a/package.yaml b/package.yaml
--- a/package.yaml
+++ b/package.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: freckle-app
-version: 1.2.0.2
+version: 1.3.0.0
 maintainer: Freckle Education
 category: Utils
 github: freckle/freckle-app
diff --git a/tests/Freckle/App/MemcachedSpec.hs b/tests/Freckle/App/MemcachedSpec.hs
--- a/tests/Freckle/App/MemcachedSpec.hs
+++ b/tests/Freckle/App/MemcachedSpec.hs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   ( spec
   ) where
 
-import Freckle.App.Prelude
+import Freckle.App.Test
 
 import Control.Lens ((^?!))
 import Control.Monad.Reader
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 import Freckle.App.Memcached.Client (MemcachedClient, newMemcachedClient)
 import qualified Freckle.App.Memcached.Client as Memcached
 import Freckle.App.Memcached.Servers
-import Freckle.App.Test
 import Freckle.App.Test.Logging
 
 data ExampleValue
@@ -37,14 +36,17 @@
     "C" -> Right C
     x -> Left $ "invalid: " <> show x
 
+-- |
+--
+-- NB. we could use 'withApp' and not need to call this runner ourselves within
+-- an @'it'-'example'@ -- except that we want to use 'runCapturedLoggingT' and
+-- assert on the logged messages. We should add "Blammo.Logging.Test" to support
+-- this use-case.
+--
 runTestAppT
   :: MonadUnliftIO m => AppExample MemcachedClient a -> m (a, [Maybe Value])
 runTestAppT f = liftIO $ do
   mc <- loadClient
-  -- NB. we could use `withApp` and not need to call this runner ourselves
-  -- within a plain-`IO` example -- except that we want to use
-  -- `runCapturedLoggingT` and assert on the logged messages. We should add
-  -- Blammo.Logging.Test to support this use-case.
   fmap (second $ map logLineToJSON) $ runCapturedLoggingT $ runReaderT
     (unAppExample f)
     mc