diff --git a/django/db/backends/oracle/creation.py b/django/db/backends/oracle/creation.py
index 2b3e63d7bd..ca3a255c41 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/oracle/creation.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/oracle/creation.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import time
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db.backends.creation import BaseDatabaseCreation
+from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
 from django.utils.six.moves import input
 
 
@@ -172,9 +173,25 @@ class DatabaseCreation(BaseDatabaseCreation):
                TEMPORARY TABLESPACE %(tblspace_temp)s
                QUOTA UNLIMITED ON %(tblspace)s
             """,
-            """GRANT CONNECT, RESOURCE TO %(user)s""",
+            """GRANT CREATE SESSION,
+                     CREATE TABLE,
+                     CREATE SEQUENCE,
+                     CREATE PROCEDURE,
+                     CREATE TRIGGER
+               TO %(user)s""",
         ]
         self._execute_statements(cursor, statements, parameters, verbosity)
+        # Most test-suites can be run without the create-view privilege. But some need it.
+        extra = "GRANT CREATE VIEW TO %(user)s"
+        try:
+            self._execute_statements(cursor, [extra], parameters, verbosity, allow_quiet_fail=True)
+        except DatabaseError as err:
+            description = str(err)
+            if 'ORA-01031' in description:
+                if verbosity >= 2:
+                    print("Failed to grant CREATE VIEW permission to test user. This may be ok.")
+            else:
+                raise
 
     def _execute_test_db_destruction(self, cursor, parameters, verbosity):
         if verbosity >= 2:
@@ -194,7 +211,7 @@ class DatabaseCreation(BaseDatabaseCreation):
         ]
         self._execute_statements(cursor, statements, parameters, verbosity)
 
-    def _execute_statements(self, cursor, statements, parameters, verbosity):
+    def _execute_statements(self, cursor, statements, parameters, verbosity, allow_quiet_fail=False):
         for template in statements:
             stmt = template % parameters
             if verbosity >= 2:
@@ -202,7 +219,8 @@ class DatabaseCreation(BaseDatabaseCreation):
             try:
                 cursor.execute(stmt)
             except Exception as err:
-                sys.stderr.write("Failed (%s)\n" % (err))
+                if (not allow_quiet_fail) or verbosity >= 2:
+                    sys.stderr.write("Failed (%s)\n" % (err))
                 raise
 
     def _get_test_db_params(self):
diff --git a/docs/ref/databases.txt b/docs/ref/databases.txt
index 7d1578bc59..627412b0e3 100644
--- a/docs/ref/databases.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/databases.txt
@@ -672,14 +672,37 @@ database user must have privileges to run the following commands:
 * CREATE PROCEDURE
 * CREATE TRIGGER
 
-To run Django's test suite, the user needs these *additional* privileges:
+To run a project's test suite, the user usually needs these *additional*
+privileges:
 
 * CREATE USER
 * DROP USER
 * CREATE TABLESPACE
 * DROP TABLESPACE
-* CONNECT WITH ADMIN OPTION
-* RESOURCE WITH ADMIN OPTION
+* CREATE SESSION WITH ADMIN OPTION
+* CREATE TABLE WITH ADMIN OPTION
+* CREATE SEQUENCE WITH ADMIN OPTION
+* CREATE PROCEDURE WITH ADMIN OPTION
+* CREATE TRIGGER WITH ADMIN OPTION
+
+Note that, while the RESOURCE role has the required CREATE TABLE, CREATE
+SEQUENCE, CREATE PROCEDURE and CREATE TRIGGER privileges, and a user
+granted RESOURCE WITH ADMIN OPTION can grant RESOURCE, such a user cannot
+grant the individual privileges (e.g. CREATE TABLE), and thus RESOURCE
+WITH ADMIN OPTION is not usually sufficient for running tests.
+
+Some test suites also create views; to run these, the user also needs
+the CREATE VIEW WITH ADMIN OPTION privilege. In particular, this is needed
+for Django's own test suite.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.8
+
+    Prior to Django 1.8, the test user was granted the CONNECT and RESOURCE
+    roles, so the extra privileges required for running the test suite were
+    different.
+
+All of these privileges are included in the DBA role, which is appropriate
+for use on a private developer's database.
 
 The Oracle database backend uses the ``SYS.DBMS_LOB`` package, so your user
 will require execute permissions on it. It's normally accessible to all users
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
index f642d08f07..5c28840c50 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
@@ -499,6 +499,16 @@ The end of upstream support periods was reached in July 2010 for Oracle 9.2,
 January 2012 for Oracle 10.1, and July 2013 for Oracle 10.2. As a consequence,
 Django 1.8 sets 11.1 as the minimum Oracle version it officially supports.
 
+Specific privileges used instead of roles for tests on Oracle
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Earlier versions of Django granted the CONNECT and RESOURCE roles to the test
+user on Oracle. These roles have been deprecated, so Django 1.8 uses the
+specific underlying privileges instead. This changes the privileges required
+of the main user for running tests (unless the project is configured to avoid
+creating a test user). The exact privileges required now are detailed in
+:ref:`Oracle notes <oracle-notes>`.
+
 ``AbstractUser.last_login`` allows null values
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/tests/introspection/tests.py b/tests/introspection/tests.py
index c8dc5411a6..59e0fc60ee 100644
--- a/tests/introspection/tests.py
+++ b/tests/introspection/tests.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class IntrospectionTests(TestCase):
                     'from introspection_article;')
             except DatabaseError as e:
                 if 'insufficient privileges' in str(e):
-                    self.skipTest("The test user has no CREATE VIEW privileges")
+                    self.fail("The test user has no CREATE VIEW privileges")
                 else:
                     raise