diff --git a/test/parallel/test-cli-syntax.js b/test/parallel/test-cli-syntax.js
index 1171a153e3ec25..1ac209b5abb091 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-cli-syntax.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-cli-syntax.js
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ const notFoundRE = /^Error: Cannot find module/m;
     const cmd = [node, ..._args].join(' ');
     exec(cmd, common.mustCall((err, stdout, stderr) => {
       assert.ifError(err);
-      assert.strictEqual(stdout, '', 'stdout produced');
-      assert.strictEqual(stderr, '', 'stderr produced');
+      assert.strictEqual(stdout, '');
+      assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
     }));
   });
 });
@@ -54,16 +54,16 @@ const notFoundRE = /^Error: Cannot find module/m;
     const cmd = [node, ..._args].join(' ');
     exec(cmd, common.mustCall((err, stdout, stderr) => {
       assert.strictEqual(err instanceof Error, true);
-      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 1, `code === ${err.code}`);
+      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 1);
 
       // no stdout should be produced
-      assert.strictEqual(stdout, '', 'stdout produced');
+      assert.strictEqual(stdout, '');
 
       // stderr should have a syntax error message
-      assert(syntaxErrorRE.test(stderr), 'stderr incorrect');
+      assert(syntaxErrorRE.test(stderr), `${syntaxErrorRE} === ${stderr}`);
 
       // stderr should include the filename
-      assert(stderr.startsWith(file), "stderr doesn't start with the filename");
+      assert(stderr.startsWith(file), `${stderr} starts with ${file}`);
     }));
   });
 });
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ const notFoundRE = /^Error: Cannot find module/m;
     const cmd = [node, ..._args].join(' ');
     exec(cmd, common.mustCall((err, stdout, stderr) => {
       // no stdout should be produced
-      assert.strictEqual(stdout, '', 'stdout produced');
+      assert.strictEqual(stdout, '');
 
       // stderr should have a module not found error message
-      assert(notFoundRE.test(stderr), 'stderr incorrect');
+      assert(notFoundRE.test(stderr), `${notFoundRE} === ${stderr}`);
 
-      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 1, `code === ${err.code}`);
+      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 1);
     }));
   });
 });
@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@ syntaxArgs.forEach(function(args) {
   const c = spawnSync(node, args, { encoding: 'utf8', input: stdin });
 
   // no stdout or stderr should be produced
-  assert.strictEqual(c.stdout, '', 'stdout produced');
-  assert.strictEqual(c.stderr, '', 'stderr produced');
+  assert.strictEqual(c.stdout, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(c.stderr, '');
 
-  assert.strictEqual(c.status, 0, `code === ${c.status}`);
+  assert.strictEqual(c.status, 0);
 });
 
 // should throw if code piped from stdin with --check has bad syntax
@@ -111,15 +111,15 @@ syntaxArgs.forEach(function(args) {
   const c = spawnSync(node, args, { encoding: 'utf8', input: stdin });
 
   // stderr should include '[stdin]' as the filename
-  assert(c.stderr.startsWith('[stdin]'), "stderr doesn't start with [stdin]");
+  assert(c.stderr.startsWith('[stdin]'), `${c.stderr} starts with ${stdin}`);
 
   // no stdout or stderr should be produced
-  assert.strictEqual(c.stdout, '', 'stdout produced');
+  assert.strictEqual(c.stdout, '');
 
   // stderr should have a syntax error message
-  assert(syntaxErrorRE.test(c.stderr), 'stderr incorrect');
+  assert(syntaxErrorRE.test(c.stderr), `${syntaxErrorRE} === ${c.stderr}`);
 
-  assert.strictEqual(c.status, 1, `code === ${c.status}`);
+  assert.strictEqual(c.status, 1);
 });
 
 // should throw if -c and -e flags are both passed
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ syntaxArgs.forEach(function(args) {
     const cmd = [node, ...args].join(' ');
     exec(cmd, common.mustCall((err, stdout, stderr) => {
       assert.strictEqual(err instanceof Error, true);
-      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 9, `code === ${err.code}`);
+      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 9);
       assert(
         stderr.startsWith(
           `${node}: either --check or --eval can be used, not both`