diff --git a/test/parallel/test-sync-fileread.js b/test/parallel/test-sync-fileread.js
index 36ac23fd8789a0..6882513c50b950 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-sync-fileread.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-sync-fileread.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 'use strict';
-var common = require('../common');
-var assert = require('assert');
-var path = require('path');
-var fs = require('fs');
+const common = require('../common');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
 
-var fixture = path.join(common.fixturesDir, 'x.txt');
+const fixture = path.join(common.fixturesDir, 'x.txt');
 
-assert.equal('xyz\n', fs.readFileSync(fixture));
+assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(fixture).toString(), 'xyz\n');