diff --git a/spark/v3.2/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java b/spark/v3.2/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java
index 45fb8e0bbaee..8528ab296b05 100644
--- a/spark/v3.2/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java
+++ b/spark/v3.2/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ public void testSparkTableAddDropPartitions() throws Exception {
   public void testDropColumnOfOldPartitionFieldV1() {
     // default table created in v1 format
     sql(
-        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts)",
+        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts) TBLPROPERTIES('format-version' = '1')",
         tableName);
 
     sql("ALTER TABLE %s REPLACE PARTITION FIELD day_of_ts WITH days(ts)", tableName);
@@ -436,11 +436,9 @@ public void testDropColumnOfOldPartitionFieldV1() {
   @Test
   public void testDropColumnOfOldPartitionFieldV2() {
     sql(
-        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts)",
+        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts) TBLPROPERTIES('format-version' = '2')",
         tableName);
 
-    sql("ALTER TABLE %s SET TBLPROPERTIES ('format-version' = '2');", tableName);
-
     sql("ALTER TABLE %s REPLACE PARTITION FIELD day_of_ts WITH days(ts)", tableName);
 
     sql("ALTER TABLE %s DROP COLUMN day_of_ts", tableName);
diff --git a/spark/v3.3/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java b/spark/v3.3/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java
index 45fb8e0bbaee..8528ab296b05 100644
--- a/spark/v3.3/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java
+++ b/spark/v3.3/spark-extensions/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/spark/extensions/TestAlterTablePartitionFields.java
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ public void testSparkTableAddDropPartitions() throws Exception {
   public void testDropColumnOfOldPartitionFieldV1() {
     // default table created in v1 format
     sql(
-        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts)",
+        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts) TBLPROPERTIES('format-version' = '1')",
         tableName);
 
     sql("ALTER TABLE %s REPLACE PARTITION FIELD day_of_ts WITH days(ts)", tableName);
@@ -436,11 +436,9 @@ public void testDropColumnOfOldPartitionFieldV1() {
   @Test
   public void testDropColumnOfOldPartitionFieldV2() {
     sql(
-        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts)",
+        "CREATE TABLE %s (id bigint NOT NULL, ts timestamp, day_of_ts date) USING iceberg PARTITIONED BY (day_of_ts) TBLPROPERTIES('format-version' = '2')",
         tableName);
 
-    sql("ALTER TABLE %s SET TBLPROPERTIES ('format-version' = '2');", tableName);
-
     sql("ALTER TABLE %s REPLACE PARTITION FIELD day_of_ts WITH days(ts)", tableName);
 
     sql("ALTER TABLE %s DROP COLUMN day_of_ts", tableName);