diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/models/trainer.py b/pytorch_lightning/models/trainer.py
index b2f9b66e..4fe8493a 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/models/trainer.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/models/trainer.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import tqdm
 from pytorch_lightning.root_module.memory import get_gpu_memory_map
 from pytorch_lightning.root_module.model_saving import TrainerIO
 from pytorch_lightning.pt_overrides.override_data_parallel import LightningDistributedDataParallel, LightningDataParallel
-from pytorch_lightning.utils.debugging import ForkedPdb
+from pytorch_lightning.utils.debugging import IncompatibleArgumentsException
 
 try:
     from apex import amp
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ class Trainer(TrainerIO):
             m = f'amp level {self.amp_level} with DataParallel is not supported. ' \
                 f'See this note from NVIDIA for more info: https://github.com/NVIDIA/apex/issues/227. ' \
                 f'We recommend you switch to ddp if you want to use amp'
-            raise Exception(m)
+            raise IncompatibleArgumentsException(m)
 
         # run through amp wrapper
         if self.use_amp:
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/utils/debugging.py b/pytorch_lightning/utils/debugging.py
index 7a4d1445..629dda9d 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/utils/debugging.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/utils/debugging.py
@@ -12,4 +12,8 @@ class ForkedPdb(pdb.Pdb):
             sys.stdin = open('/dev/stdin')
             pdb.Pdb.interaction(self, *args, **kwargs)
         finally:
-            sys.stdin = _stdin
\ No newline at end of file
+            sys.stdin = _stdin
+
+
+class IncompatibleArgumentsException(Exception):
+    pass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_models.py b/tests/test_models.py
index 96e99156..6716fef5 100644
--- a/tests/test_models.py
+++ b/tests/test_models.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from pytorch_lightning.examples.new_project_templates.lightning_module_template
 from argparse import Namespace
 from test_tube import Experiment
 from pytorch_lightning.callbacks import ModelCheckpoint
+from pytorch_lightning.utils.debugging import IncompatibleArgumentsException
 import numpy as np
 import warnings
 import torch
@@ -90,17 +91,14 @@ def test_amp_gpu_dp():
         warnings.warn('test_amp_gpu_dp cannot run. Rerun on a node with 2+ GPUs to run this test')
         return
 
-    try:
-        trainer_options = dict(
-            max_nb_epochs=1,
-            gpus=[0, 1],
-            distributed_backend='dp',
-            use_amp=True
-        )
-    except Exception as e:
-        assert 'https://github.com/NVIDIA/apex/issues/227' in str(e)
-
-    run_gpu_model_test(trainer_options)
+    trainer_options = dict(
+        max_nb_epochs=1,
+        gpus=[0, 1],
+        distributed_backend='dp',
+        use_amp=True
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(IncompatibleArgumentsException):
+        run_gpu_model_test(trainer_options)
 
 
 def test_multi_gpu_model_ddp():