diff --git a/assert_test.go b/assert_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0394b4b08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assert_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2023 Snowflake Computing Inc. All rights reserved.
+
+package gosnowflake
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func assertNilF(t *testing.T, actual any, descriptions ...string) {
+	fatalOnNonEmpty(t, validateNil(actual, descriptions...))
+}
+
+func assertNotNilF(t *testing.T, actual any, descriptions ...string) {
+	fatalOnNonEmpty(t, validateNotNil(actual, descriptions...))
+}
+
+func assertEqualE(t *testing.T, actual any, expected any, descriptions ...string) {
+	errorOnNonEmpty(t, validateEqual(actual, expected, descriptions...))
+}
+
+func assertStringContainsE(t *testing.T, actual string, expectedToContain string, descriptions ...string) {
+	errorOnNonEmpty(t, validateStringContains(actual, expectedToContain, descriptions...))
+}
+
+func assertHasPrefixE(t *testing.T, actual string, expectedPrefix string, descriptions ...string) {
+	errorOnNonEmpty(t, validateHasPrefix(actual, expectedPrefix, descriptions...))
+}
+
+func fatalOnNonEmpty(t *testing.T, errMsg string) {
+	if errMsg != "" {
+		t.Fatal(errMsg)
+	}
+}
+
+func errorOnNonEmpty(t *testing.T, errMsg string) {
+	if errMsg != "" {
+		t.Error(errMsg)
+	}
+}
+
+func validateNil(actual any, descriptions ...string) string {
+	if isNil(actual) {
+		return ""
+	}
+	desc := joinDescriptions(descriptions...)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("expected \"%s\" to be nil but was not. %s", actual, desc)
+}
+
+func validateNotNil(actual any, descriptions ...string) string {
+	if !isNil(actual) {
+		return ""
+	}
+	desc := joinDescriptions(descriptions...)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("expected to be not nil but was not. %s", desc)
+}
+
+func validateEqual(actual any, expected any, descriptions ...string) string {
+	if expected == actual {
+		return ""
+	}
+	desc := joinDescriptions(descriptions...)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("expected \"%s\" to be equal to \"%s\" but was not. %s", actual, expected, desc)
+}
+
+func validateStringContains(actual string, expectedToContain string, descriptions ...string) string {
+	if strings.Contains(actual, expectedToContain) {
+		return ""
+	}
+	desc := joinDescriptions(descriptions...)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("expected \"%s\" to contain \"%s\" but did not. %s", actual, expectedToContain, desc)
+}
+
+func validateHasPrefix(actual string, expectedPrefix string, descriptions ...string) string {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(actual, expectedPrefix) {
+		return ""
+	}
+	desc := joinDescriptions(descriptions...)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("expected \"%s\" to start with \"%s\" but did not. %s", actual, expectedPrefix, desc)
+}
+
+func joinDescriptions(descriptions ...string) string {
+	return strings.Join(descriptions, " ")
+}
+
+func isNil(value any) bool {
+	if value == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	val := reflect.ValueOf(value)
+	return val.Kind() == reflect.Pointer && val.IsNil()
+}
diff --git a/client_configuration_test.go b/client_configuration_test.go
index b7ecdd2f0..8da3be3ec 100644
--- a/client_configuration_test.go
+++ b/client_configuration_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -59,15 +58,9 @@ func TestParseConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 
 			config, err := parseClientConfiguration(fileName)
 
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("Error should be nil but was %s", err)
-			}
-			if config.Common.LogLevel != tc.expectedLogLevel {
-				t.Errorf("Log level should be %s but was %s", tc.expectedLogLevel, config.Common.LogLevel)
-			}
-			if config.Common.LogPath != tc.expectedLogPath {
-				t.Errorf("Log path should be %s but was %s", tc.expectedLogPath, config.Common.LogPath)
-			}
+			assertNilF(t, err, "parse client configuration error")
+			assertEqualE(t, config.Common.LogLevel, tc.expectedLogLevel, "log level")
+			assertEqualE(t, config.Common.LogPath, tc.expectedLogPath, "log path")
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -86,12 +79,8 @@ func TestParseAllLogLevels(t *testing.T) {
 
 			config, err := parseClientConfiguration(fileName)
 
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("Error should be nil but was: %s", err)
-			}
-			if config.Common.LogLevel != logLevel {
-				t.Errorf("Log level should be %s but was %s", logLevel, config.Common.LogLevel)
-			}
+			assertNilF(t, err, "parse client config error")
+			assertEqualE(t, config.Common.LogLevel, logLevel, "log level")
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -150,17 +139,11 @@ func TestParseConfigurationFails(t *testing.T) {
 
 			_, err := parseClientConfiguration(fileName)
 
-			if err == nil {
-				t.Fatal("Error should not be nil but was nil")
-			}
+			assertNotNilF(t, err, "parse client configuration error")
 			errMessage := fmt.Sprint(err)
 			expectedPrefix := "parsing client config failed"
-			if !strings.HasPrefix(errMessage, expectedPrefix) {
-				t.Errorf("Error message: \"%s\" should start with prefix: \"%s\"", errMessage, expectedPrefix)
-			}
-			if !strings.Contains(errMessage, tc.expectedErrorMessageToContain) {
-				t.Errorf("Error message: \"%s\" should contain given phrase: \"%s\"", errMessage, tc.expectedErrorMessageToContain)
-			}
+			assertHasPrefixE(t, errMessage, expectedPrefix, "error message")
+			assertStringContainsE(t, errMessage, tc.expectedErrorMessageToContain, "error message")
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -168,8 +151,6 @@ func TestParseConfigurationFails(t *testing.T) {
 func createFile(t *testing.T, fileName string, fileContents string, directory string) string {
 	fullFileName := path.Join(directory, fileName)
 	err := os.WriteFile(fullFileName, []byte(fileContents), 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal("Could not create file")
-	}
+	assertNilF(t, err, "create file error")
 	return fullFileName
 }