diff --git a/integration_tests/format_test.ucg b/integration_tests/format_test.ucg
index 0e367a0..56c7c45 100644
--- a/integration_tests/format_test.ucg
+++ b/integration_tests/format_test.ucg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 assert t.equal{
     left = "hello @" % ("world"),
diff --git a/integration_tests/include_test.ucg b/integration_tests/include_test.ucg
index 2028bde..e9c67fb 100644
--- a/integration_tests/include_test.ucg
+++ b/integration_tests/include_test.ucg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 let script = include str "./include_example.sh";
 assert {
diff --git a/integration_tests/modules_test.ucg b/integration_tests/modules_test.ucg
index 4d40024..b267d82 100644
--- a/integration_tests/modules_test.ucg
+++ b/integration_tests/modules_test.ucg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 let test_empty_mod = module {
 } => {
diff --git a/integration_tests/types_test.ucg b/integration_tests/types_test.ucg
index fc7bbb1..2423f78 100644
--- a/integration_tests/types_test.ucg
+++ b/integration_tests/types_test.ucg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 assert t.ok{
     test = "foo" is "str",
diff --git a/std/testing.ucg b/std/testing.ucg
index 32d9000..d4e6a25 100644
--- a/std/testing.ucg
+++ b/std/testing.ucg
@@ -1,68 +1,60 @@
-// A module with helper test assertions for ucg tests.
-// Each contained module will output a struct with 
-// ok and desc fields.
-//
-// ok will be a boolean.
-// desc will be a descriptive message.
-let asserts = module{
-        // allows you to specify a a prefix for messages.
-        // specify the prefix to add when the condition is not true.
-        // A default description to use for messages.
-        default_description = "TODO description",
-    } => {
-    
-    // Test that a value is true.
-    let ok = module{
-        // test value expected to be true for success.
-        test=false,
-        // descriptive message to use in output.
-        desc=mod.default_description,
-    } => {
-        let ok = mod.test;
+let todo_desc = "TODO description";
 
-        let desc = "@" % (mod.desc);
+// Test that a value is true.
+let ok = module{
+    // test value expected to be true for success.
+    test=false,
+    // descriptive message to use in output.
+    desc=todo_desc,
+} => ({ok=ok, desc=desc}) {
+    assert mod.desc != NULL;
+
+    let ok = mod.test;
+    let desc = "@" % (mod.desc);
+};
+
+// Test that a value is not true.
+let not_ok = module{
+    // Test value expected to to be false for success.
+    test=true,
+    // descriptive message to use in output.
+    desc=todo_desc,
+} => ({ok=ok, desc=desc}) {
+    assert mod.desc != NULL;
+
+    let ok = not mod.test;
+    let desc = "@" % (mod.desc);
+
+};
+
+// Asserts that two values are equal. Does deep equal comparisons.
+let equal = module{
+    // Left value for deep equal comparison.
+    left=NULL,
+    // right value for deep equal comparison.
+    right=NULL,
+    desc="",
+} => ({ok=ok, desc=desc}) {
+    assert mod.desc != NULL;
+
+    let ok = mod.left == mod.right;
+    let desc = select (mod.desc == ""), "@ == @" % (mod.left, mod.right), {
+        false = mod.desc,
     };
+};
 
-    // Test that a value is not true.
-    let not_ok = module{
-        // Test value expected to to be false for success.
-        test=true,
-        // descriptive message to use in output.
-        desc=mod.default_description,
-    } => {
-        let ok = not mod.test;
+// Asserts that two values are not equal. Does deep equal comparisons.
+let not_equal = module{
+    // Left value for deep equal comparison.
+    left=NULL,
+    // right value for deep equal comparison.
+    right=NULL,
+    desc="",
+} => ({ok=ok, desc=desc}) {
+    assert mod.desc != NULL;
 
-        let desc = "@" % (mod.desc);
-
-    };
-
-    // Asserts that two values are equal. Does deep equal comparisons.
-    let equal = module{
-        // Left value for deep equal comparison.
-        left=NULL,
-        // right value for deep equal comparison.
-        right=NULL,
-        desc="",
-    } => {
-        let ok = mod.left == mod.right;
-
-        let desc = select (mod.desc == ""), "@ == @" % (mod.left, mod.right), {
-            false = mod.desc,
-        };
-    };
-
-    // Asserts that two values are not equal. Does deep equal comparisons.
-    let not_equal = module{
-        // Left value for deep equal comparison.
-        left=NULL,
-        // right value for deep equal comparison.
-        right=NULL,
-        desc="",
-    } => {
-        let ok = mod.left != mod.right;
-
-        let desc = select (mod.desc == ""), "@ != @" % (mod.left, mod.right), {
-            false = mod.desc,
-        };
+    let ok = mod.left != mod.right;
+    let desc = select (mod.desc == ""), "@ != @" % (mod.left, mod.right), {
+        false = mod.desc,
     };
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/std/tests/functional_test.ucg b/std/tests/functional_test.ucg
index b529a77..c68eeb6 100644
--- a/std/tests/functional_test.ucg
+++ b/std/tests/functional_test.ucg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
 let f = import "std/functional.ucg";
 
 let op = func (arg) => arg{foo="bar"};
diff --git a/std/tests/lists_test.ucg b/std/tests/lists_test.ucg
index 9b4eabb..d6542f0 100644
--- a/std/tests/lists_test.ucg
+++ b/std/tests/lists_test.ucg
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 let list = import "std/lists.ucg";
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
+let asserts = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 let list_to_join = [1, 2, 3];
 
-let asserts = t.asserts{};
-
 assert asserts.equal{
     left=list.str_join{sep=",", list=list_to_join},
     right="1,2,3"
diff --git a/std/tests/schema_test.ucg b/std/tests/schema_test.ucg
index e403786..0b3e9ff 100644
--- a/std/tests/schema_test.ucg
+++ b/std/tests/schema_test.ucg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
 let schema = import "std/schema.ucg";
 
 assert t.ok{
diff --git a/std/tests/strings_test.ucg b/std/tests/strings_test.ucg
index fb706ef..85e2b2e 100644
--- a/std/tests/strings_test.ucg
+++ b/std/tests/strings_test.ucg
@@ -1,24 +1,24 @@
 let strings = import "std/strings.ucg";
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg".asserts{};
+let asserts = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 let str_class = strings.ops{str="foo bar"};
 
-assert t.equal{
+assert asserts.equal{
     left = str_class.split_on{},
     right = ["foo", "bar"],
 };
 
-assert t.equal{
+assert asserts.equal{
     left = strings.ops{str="foo"}.split_on{},
     right = ["foo"],
 };
 
-assert t.equal{
+assert asserts.equal{
     left = strings.ops{str=""}.split_on{},
     right = [""],
 };
 
-assert t.equal{
+assert asserts.equal{
     left = str_class.split_at(3),
     right = {left="foo", right=" bar"},
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/std/tests/testing_test.ucg b/std/tests/testing_test.ucg
index 1a6c79a..1a0d6f2 100644
--- a/std/tests/testing_test.ucg
+++ b/std/tests/testing_test.ucg
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-let t = import "std/testing.ucg";
-
-let asserts = t.asserts{};
+let asserts = import "std/testing.ucg";
 
 let not_equal_result = asserts.not_equal{
     left=1,
diff --git a/std/tests/tuples_test.ucg b/std/tests/tuples_test.ucg
index 210c8f4..2a5f2a8 100644
--- a/std/tests/tuples_test.ucg
+++ b/std/tests/tuples_test.ucg
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 let tpl = import "std/tuples.ucg";
-let t = (import "std/testing.ucg").asserts{};
+let t = (import "std/testing.ucg");
 
 assert t.equal{
     left = tpl.fields{tpl={foo=1, bar=2}},