diff --git a/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py b/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
index cacbe359b..e4007af25 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/assertion/rewrite.py
@@ -375,31 +375,29 @@ def _read_pyc(
     except OSError:
         return None
     with fp:
-        # https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0552/
-        has_flags = sys.version_info >= (3, 7)
         try:
             stat_result = os.stat(source)
             mtime = int(stat_result.st_mtime)
             size = stat_result.st_size
-            data = fp.read(16 if has_flags else 12)
+            data = fp.read(16)
         except OSError as e:
             trace(f"_read_pyc({source}): OSError {e}")
             return None
         # Check for invalid or out of date pyc file.
-        if len(data) != (16 if has_flags else 12):
+        if len(data) != (16):
             trace("_read_pyc(%s): invalid pyc (too short)" % source)
             return None
         if data[:4] != importlib.util.MAGIC_NUMBER:
             trace("_read_pyc(%s): invalid pyc (bad magic number)" % source)
             return None
-        if has_flags and data[4:8] != b"\x00\x00\x00\x00":
+        if data[4:8] != b"\x00\x00\x00\x00":
             trace("_read_pyc(%s): invalid pyc (unsupported flags)" % source)
             return None
-        mtime_data = data[8 if has_flags else 4 : 12 if has_flags else 8]
+        mtime_data = data[8:12]
         if int.from_bytes(mtime_data, "little") != mtime & 0xFFFFFFFF:
             trace("_read_pyc(%s): out of date" % source)
             return None
-        size_data = data[12 if has_flags else 8 : 16 if has_flags else 12]
+        size_data = data[12:16]
         if int.from_bytes(size_data, "little") != size & 0xFFFFFFFF:
             trace("_read_pyc(%s): invalid pyc (incorrect size)" % source)
             return None