--- a/test/test_system.m
+++ b/test/test_system.m
@@ -334,11 +334,11 @@
 %% test/octave.test/system/fnmatch-1.m
 %!test
 %! string_fill_char = setstr (0);
-%! assert((fnmatch ("a*a", ["aba"; "xxxba"; "aa"]) == [1; 0; 1]
-%! && fnmatch (["a*a"; "b*b"], "bob")
-%! && fnmatch ("x[0-5]*", ["x1"; "x6"]) == [1; 0]
-%! && fnmatch ("x[0-5]*", ["x1"; "x6"; "x001"]) == [1; 0; 1]
-%! && fnmatch ("x???y", ["xabcy"; "xy"]) == [1; 0]));
+%! assert((fnmatch ("a*a", {"aba"; "xxxba"; "aa"}) == [1; 0; 1]
+%! && fnmatch ({"a*a"; "b*b"}, "bob")
+%! && fnmatch ("x[0-5]*", {"x1"; "x6"}) == [1; 0]
+%! && fnmatch ("x[0-5]*", {"x1"; "x6"; "x001"}) == [1; 0; 1]
+%! && fnmatch ("x???y", {"xabcy"; "xy"}) == [1; 0]));
 
 %% test/octave.test/system/fnmatch-2.m
 %!error <... fnmatch:.*> fnmatch ();