diff --git a/lib/concepts/school_student/create.rb b/lib/concepts/school_student/create.rb
index b6e4fb618..b72868b77 100644
--- a/lib/concepts/school_student/create.rb
+++ b/lib/concepts/school_student/create.rb
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ def call(school:, school_student_params:, token:)
         response = OperationResponse.new
         response[:student_id] = create_student(school, school_student_params, token)
         response
-      rescue ProfileApiClient::Student422Error => e
-        Sentry.capture_exception(e)
-        response[:error] = "Error creating school student: #{e.error}"
-        response
       rescue StandardError => e
         Sentry.capture_exception(e)
         response[:error] = "Error creating school student: #{e}"
diff --git a/lib/profile_api_client.rb b/lib/profile_api_client.rb
index 6bcdc466f..9363a3929 100644
--- a/lib/profile_api_client.rb
+++ b/lib/profile_api_client.rb
@@ -13,21 +13,9 @@ class ProfileApiClient
   class Error < StandardError; end
 
   class Student422Error < Error
-    DEFAULT_ERROR = 'unknown error'
-    ERRORS = {
-      'ERR_USER_EXISTS' => 'username has already been taken',
-      'ERR_INVALID' => 'unknown validation error',
-      'ERR_INVALID_PASSWORD' => 'password is invalid',
-      'ERR_UNKNOWN' => DEFAULT_ERROR
-    }.freeze
-
-    attr_reader :username, :error
-
     def initialize(error)
-      @username = error['username']
-      @error = ERRORS.fetch(error['error'], DEFAULT_ERROR)
-
-      super "Student not saved in Profile API (status code 422, username '#{@username}', error '#{@error}')"
+      @message = error['message']
+      super @message
     end
   end
 
@@ -109,7 +97,7 @@ def create_school_student(token:, username:, password:, name:, school_id:)
       raise UnexpectedResponse, response unless response.status == 201
 
       response.body.deep_symbolize_keys
-    rescue Faraday::UnprocessableEntityError => e
+    rescue Faraday::BadRequestError => e
       raise Student422Error, JSON.parse(e.response_body)['errors'].first
     end
 
@@ -127,7 +115,7 @@ def update_school_student(token:, school_id:, student_id:, name: nil, username:
       raise UnexpectedResponse, response unless response.status == 200
 
       Student.new(**response.body)
-    rescue Faraday::UnprocessableEntityError => e
+    rescue Faraday::BadRequestError => e
       raise Student422Error, JSON.parse(e.response_body)['errors'].first
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/concepts/school_student/create_spec.rb b/spec/concepts/school_student/create_spec.rb
index f7419c100..6d4b2d082 100644
--- a/spec/concepts/school_student/create_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/concepts/school_student/create_spec.rb
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
   end
 
   context 'when the student cannot be created in profile api because of a 422 response' do
-    let(:error) { { 'username' => 'username', 'error' => 'ERR_USER_EXISTS' } }
+    let(:error) { { 'message' => "something's up with the username" } }
     let(:exception) { ProfileApiClient::Student422Error.new(error) }
 
     before do
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 
     it 'adds a useful error message' do
       response = described_class.call(school:, school_student_params:, token:)
-      expect(response[:error]).to eq('Error creating school student: username has already been taken')
+      expect(response[:error]).to eq("Error creating school student: something's up with the username")
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/profile_api_client_spec.rb b/spec/lib/profile_api_client_spec.rb
index 48ed7ce3e..cfc40f630 100644
--- a/spec/lib/profile_api_client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/profile_api_client_spec.rb
@@ -16,18 +16,10 @@
     subject(:exception) { described_class.new(error) }
 
     let(:error_code) { 'ERR_USER_EXISTS' }
-    let(:error) { { 'username' => 'username', 'error' => error_code } }
+    let(:error) { { 'message' => "Something's wrong with the password" } }
 
-    it 'includes status code, username and translated error code in the message' do
-      expect(exception.message).to eq("Student not saved in Profile API (status code 422, username 'username', error 'username has already been taken')")
-    end
-
-    context "when the error isn't recognised" do
-      let(:error_code) { 'unrecognised-code' }
-
-      it 'includes a default error message' do
-        expect(exception.message).to match(/error 'unknown error'/)
-      end
+    it 'includes the message from the error' do
+      expect(exception.message).to eq("Something's wrong with the password")
     end
   end
 
@@ -379,13 +371,13 @@ def delete_safeguarding_flag
       expect(create_school_student).to eq(response)
     end
 
-    it 'raises 422 exception if 422 status code is returned' do
-      response = { errors: [username: 'username', error: 'ERR_USER_EXISTS'] }
+    it 'raises 422 exception with the relevant message if 400 status code is returned' do
+      response = { errors: [message: 'The password is well dodgy'] }
       stub_request(:post, create_students_url)
-        .to_return(status: 422, body: response.to_json, headers: { 'content-type' => 'application/json' })
+        .to_return(status: 400, body: response.to_json, headers: { 'content-type' => 'application/json' })
 
       expect { create_school_student }.to raise_error(ProfileApiClient::Student422Error)
-        .with_message("Student not saved in Profile API (status code 422, username 'username', error 'username has already been taken')")
+        .with_message('The password is well dodgy')
     end
 
     it 'raises exception if anything other that 201 status code is returned' do
@@ -548,13 +540,13 @@ def list_school_students
       expect(update_school_student).to eq(expected)
     end
 
-    it 'raises 422 exception if 422 status code is returned' do
-      response = { errors: [username: 'username', error: 'ERR_USER_EXISTS'] }
+    it 'raises 422 exception with the relevant message if 400 status code is returned' do
+      response = { errors: [message: 'The username is well dodgy'] }
       stub_request(:patch, update_student_url)
-        .to_return(status: 422, body: response.to_json, headers: { 'content-type' => 'application/json' })
+        .to_return(status: 400, body: response.to_json, headers: { 'content-type' => 'application/json' })
 
       expect { update_school_student }.to raise_error(ProfileApiClient::Student422Error)
-        .with_message("Student not saved in Profile API (status code 422, username 'username', error 'username has already been taken')")
+        .with_message('The username is well dodgy')
     end
 
     it 'raises exception if anything other that 200 status code is returned' do