diff --git a/audio/aidl/vts/EffectHelper.h b/audio/aidl/vts/EffectHelper.h
index 73a1f49..7222d4f 100644
--- a/audio/aidl/vts/EffectHelper.h
+++ b/audio/aidl/vts/EffectHelper.h
@@ -58,26 +58,34 @@
 class EffectHelper {
   public:
     static void create(std::shared_ptr<IFactory> factory, std::shared_ptr<IEffect>& effect,
-                       Descriptor::Identity id, binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
+                       Descriptor& desc, binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         ASSERT_NE(factory, nullptr);
-        EXPECT_STATUS(status, factory->createEffect(id.uuid, &effect));
+        auto& id = desc.common.id;
+        ASSERT_STATUS(status, factory->createEffect(id.uuid, &effect));
         if (status == EX_NONE) {
             ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr) << id.uuid.toString();
         }
     }
 
+    static void destroyIgnoreRet(std::shared_ptr<IFactory> factory,
+                                 std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect) {
+        if (factory && effect) {
+            factory->destroyEffect(effect);
+        }
+    }
+
     static void destroy(std::shared_ptr<IFactory> factory, std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect,
                         binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         ASSERT_NE(factory, nullptr);
         ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr);
-        EXPECT_STATUS(status, factory->destroyEffect(effect));
+        ASSERT_STATUS(status, factory->destroyEffect(effect));
     }
 
     static void open(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, const Parameter::Common& common,
                      const std::optional<Parameter::Specific>& specific,
                      IEffect::OpenEffectReturn* ret, binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr);
-        EXPECT_STATUS(status, effect->open(common, specific, ret));
+        ASSERT_STATUS(status, effect->open(common, specific, ret));
     }
 
     static void open(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, int session = 0,
@@ -85,30 +93,40 @@
         ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr);
         Parameter::Common common = EffectHelper::createParamCommon(session);
         IEffect::OpenEffectReturn ret;
-        open(effect, common, std::nullopt /* specific */, &ret, status);
+        ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(open(effect, common, std::nullopt /* specific */, &ret, status));
     }
 
+    static void closeIgnoreRet(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect) {
+        if (effect) {
+            effect->close();
+        }
+    }
     static void close(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         if (effect) {
-            EXPECT_STATUS(status, effect->close());
+            ASSERT_STATUS(status, effect->close());
         }
     }
     static void getDescriptor(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, Descriptor& desc,
                               binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr);
-        EXPECT_STATUS(status, effect->getDescriptor(&desc));
+        ASSERT_STATUS(status, effect->getDescriptor(&desc));
     }
     static void expectState(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, State expectState,
                             binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr);
         State state;
-        EXPECT_STATUS(status, effect->getState(&state));
-        EXPECT_EQ(expectState, state);
+        ASSERT_STATUS(status, effect->getState(&state));
+        ASSERT_EQ(expectState, state);
+    }
+    static void commandIgnoreRet(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, CommandId command) {
+        if (effect) {
+            effect->command(command);
+        }
     }
     static void command(std::shared_ptr<IEffect> effect, CommandId command,
                         binder_status_t status = EX_NONE) {
         ASSERT_NE(effect, nullptr);
-        EXPECT_STATUS(status, effect->command(command));
+        ASSERT_STATUS(status, effect->command(command));
     }
     static void allocateInputData(const Parameter::Common common, std::unique_ptr<DataMQ>& mq,
                                   std::vector<float>& buffer) {
@@ -116,29 +134,29 @@
         auto frameSize = android::hardware::audio::common::getFrameSizeInBytes(
                 common.input.base.format, common.input.base.channelMask);
         const size_t floatsToWrite = mq->availableToWrite();
-        EXPECT_NE(0UL, floatsToWrite);
-        EXPECT_EQ(frameSize * common.input.frameCount, floatsToWrite * sizeof(float));
+        ASSERT_NE(0UL, floatsToWrite);
+        ASSERT_EQ(frameSize * common.input.frameCount, floatsToWrite * sizeof(float));
         buffer.resize(floatsToWrite);
         std::fill(buffer.begin(), buffer.end(), 0x5a);
     }
     static void writeToFmq(std::unique_ptr<DataMQ>& mq, const std::vector<float>& buffer) {
         const size_t available = mq->availableToWrite();
-        EXPECT_NE(0Ul, available);
+        ASSERT_NE(0Ul, available);
         auto bufferFloats = buffer.size();
         auto floatsToWrite = std::min(available, bufferFloats);
-        EXPECT_TRUE(mq->write(buffer.data(), floatsToWrite));
+        ASSERT_TRUE(mq->write(buffer.data(), floatsToWrite));
     }
     static void readFromFmq(std::unique_ptr<StatusMQ>& statusMq, size_t statusNum,
                             std::unique_ptr<DataMQ>& dataMq, size_t expectFloats,
                             std::vector<float>& buffer) {
         IEffect::Status status{};
-        EXPECT_TRUE(statusMq->readBlocking(&status, statusNum));
-        EXPECT_EQ(STATUS_OK, status.status);
+        ASSERT_TRUE(statusMq->readBlocking(&status, statusNum));
+        ASSERT_EQ(STATUS_OK, status.status);
         if (statusNum != 0) {
-            EXPECT_EQ(expectFloats, (unsigned)status.fmqProduced);
-            EXPECT_EQ(expectFloats, dataMq->availableToRead());
+            ASSERT_EQ(expectFloats, (unsigned)status.fmqProduced);
+            ASSERT_EQ(expectFloats, dataMq->availableToRead());
             if (expectFloats != 0) {
-                EXPECT_TRUE(dataMq->read(buffer.data(), expectFloats));
+                ASSERT_TRUE(dataMq->read(buffer.data(), expectFloats));
             }
         }
     }