diff --git a/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream.js b/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream.js
index 4d9df25d4cd2ac..d66657d690f1b2 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-file-write-stream.js
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ file
     console.error('drain!', callbacks.drain);
     callbacks.drain++;
     if (callbacks.drain === -1) {
-      assert.strictEqual(EXPECTED, fs.readFileSync(fn, 'utf8'));
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(fn, 'utf8'), EXPECTED);
       file.write(EXPECTED);
     } else if (callbacks.drain === 0) {
-      assert.strictEqual(EXPECTED + EXPECTED, fs.readFileSync(fn, 'utf8'));
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(fn, 'utf8'), EXPECTED + EXPECTED);
       file.end();
     }
   })