diff --git a/test/parallel/test-trace-events-async-hooks.js b/test/parallel/test-trace-events-async-hooks.js
index d3c5a0af5b8e50..e0b5e0625bea6f 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-trace-events-async-hooks.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-trace-events-async-hooks.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const common = require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const cp = require('child_process');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const util = require('util');
 
 const CODE =
   'setTimeout(() => { for (var i = 0; i < 100000; i++) { "test" + i } }, 1)';
@@ -58,9 +59,9 @@ proc.once('exit', common.mustCall(() => {
     const initEvents = traces.filter((trace) => {
       return (trace.ph === 'b' && !trace.name.includes('_CALLBACK'));
     });
-    assert(initEvents.every((trace) => {
+    assert.ok(initEvents.every((trace) => {
       return (trace.args.executionAsyncId > 0 &&
               trace.args.triggerAsyncId > 0);
-    }));
+    }), `Unexpected initEvents format: ${util.inspect(initEvents)}`);
   }));
 }));