A very simple java8-style snippet to assert exception inside test method. Works without JUnit boilerplate (like rules, @expected annotations and so on) and without explicit try-catch block.

InputStreamTest.java

package tech.toparvion.gist;

import org.junit.Test;
import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;

import static tech.toparvion.gist.TestHelper.assertException;

public class InputStreamTest {

  @Test
  public void testThrowing() throws Exception {
    // SUT - system under test - a trivial input stream.
    InputStream stream = new ByteArrayInputStream(new byte[0]);
    // Let's make it unusable
    stream.close();
    
    // ... and try to use:
    final byte[] readBuf = new byte[10];
    // Thanks to lambdas we can either call methods as usual
    assertException(() -> stream.read(readBuf), IOException.class);
    // .. or through a method reference
    assertException(stream::available, IOException.class);
    // We'd be here just in case tested methods have really thrown excpected exceptions.

    // Do any stuff you need further.
  }
}

TestHelper.java

package tech.toparvion.gist;

import org.junit.Assert;

import static java.lang.String.format;

public class TestHelper {

  /**
   * Asserts that proposed <code>action</code> throws exception of <code>exceptedExceptionClass</code>. If action
   * doesn't throw, an {@link AssertionError} is thrown.
   * @param action tested action; can be expressed with a lambda expression
   * @param exceptedExceptionClass a class of exception expected to be thrown
   */
  public static void assertException(TestedAction action,
                                     Class<? extends Exception> exceptedExceptionClass) {
    try {
      action.act();
      Assert.fail("Tested action has not thrown any exception.");

    } catch (Throwable e) {
      if (!exceptedExceptionClass.isAssignableFrom(e.getClass())) {
        Assert.fail(format("Tested action has thrown exception of class '%s' while expected class is '%s'.",
                e.getClass().getName(), exceptedExceptionClass.getName()));
      }
    }
  }

  @FunctionalInterface
  public interface TestedAction {
    void act() throws Exception;
  }
}