diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py
index 2f5c868374c..90eadd0edf5 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py
@@ -230,14 +230,12 @@ def cmake_args(self):
 
         return options
 
-    # Delegate in the vtk-m built smoke test
-    def smoke_test(self):
+    def test_smoke_test(self):
+        """Build and run ctests"""
         spec = self.spec
 
         if "+examples" not in spec:
-            raise RuntimeError(
-                "Examples needed for smoke test missing", "reinstall with `+examples` variant"
-            )
+            raise SkipTest("Package must be installed with +examples")
 
         testdir = "smoke_test_build"
         with working_dir(testdir, create=True):
@@ -252,7 +250,4 @@ def smoke_test(self):
     @run_after("install")
     @on_package_attributes(run_tests=True)
     def build_test(self):
-        self.smoke_test()
-
-    def test(self):
-        self.smoke_test()
+        self.test_smoke_test()