diff --git a/cpp-package/example/test_kvstore.cpp b/cpp-package/example/test_kvstore.cpp
index bb81e3a3031a..f0fb8beb6719 100644
--- a/cpp-package/example/test_kvstore.cpp
+++ b/cpp-package/example/test_kvstore.cpp
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@
 
 using namespace mxnet::cpp;
 
-static int test_single_key() {
-  int ret = 0;
-
+static bool test_single_key() {
   std::string key = "singlekeytest";
 
   NDArray result(Shape(4), Context::cpu());
@@ -38,10 +36,12 @@ static int test_single_key() {
 
   // compare
   for (size_t j=0; j < result.Size(); j++) {
-    ret += (result.GetData()[j] == data.GetData()[j]) ? 0 : 1;
+    if (result.GetData()[j] != data.GetData()[j]) {
+      LG << "Error: wrong initialized data in singlekeytest, expect "
+          << data.GetData()[j] << " got " << result.GetData()[j];
+      return false;
+    }
   }
-  if (ret != 0)
-    return ret;
 
   // push gradient
   NDArray grad({0.1f, -2.f, -4.4f, 0.f}, Shape(4), Context::cpu());
@@ -54,15 +54,17 @@ static int test_single_key() {
 
   // compare
   for (size_t j=0; j < result.Size(); j++) {
-    ret += (result.GetData()[j] == grad.GetData()[j]) ? 0 : 1;
+    if (result.GetData()[j] == grad.GetData()[j]) {
+      LG << "Error: wrong gradient data in singlekeytest, expect "
+          << grad.GetData()[j] << " got " << result.GetData()[j];
+      return false;
+    }
   }
 
-  return ret;
+  return true;
 }
 
-static int test_multiple_key() {
-  int ret = 0;
-
+static bool test_multiple_key() {
   std::vector<std::string> keys(2);
   keys[0] = "multikeytest-0";
   keys[1] = "multikeytest-1";
@@ -72,10 +74,10 @@ static int test_multiple_key() {
   results[1] = NDArray(Shape(4), Context::cpu());
 
   // initialize data
-  std::vector<NDArray> datas(2);
-  datas[0] = NDArray({0.f, 2.f, -3.12f, 4.f}, Shape(4), Context::cpu());
-  datas[1] = NDArray({0.8f, -2.f, 6.6f, 77.f}, Shape(4), Context::cpu());
-  KVStore::Init(keys, datas);
+  std::vector<NDArray> data(2);
+  data[0] = NDArray({0.f, 2.f, -3.12f, 4.f}, Shape(4), Context::cpu());
+  data[1] = NDArray({0.8f, -2.f, 6.6f, 77.f}, Shape(4), Context::cpu());
+  KVStore::Init(keys, data);
   NDArray::WaitAll();
 
   // retrieve result
@@ -85,11 +87,13 @@ static int test_multiple_key() {
   // compare
   for (size_t i=0; i < results.size(); i++) {
     for (size_t j=0; j < results[i].Size(); j++) {
-      ret += (results[i].GetData()[j] == datas[i].GetData()[j]) ? 0 : 1;
+      if (results[i].GetData()[j] == data[i].GetData()[j]) {
+        LG << "Error: wrong initialized data in multikeytest, expect "
+            << data[i].GetData()[j] << " got " << results[i].GetData()[j];
+        return false;
+      }
     }
   }
-  if (ret != 0)
-    return ret;
 
   // push gradient, reduce for the second
   std::vector<std::string> push_keys(3);
@@ -110,22 +114,31 @@ static int test_multiple_key() {
 
   // compare the first
   for (size_t j=0; j < results[0].Size(); j++) {
-    ret += (results[0].GetData()[j] == grads[0].GetData()[j]) ? 0 : 1;
+    if (results[0].GetData()[j] == grads[0].GetData()[j]) {
+      LG << "Error: wrong gradient data, expect " << grads[0].GetData()[j]
+          << " got " << result[0].GetData()[j];
+      return false;
+    }
   }
 
   // compare the second
   for (size_t j=0; j < results[1].Size(); j++) {
-    ret += (results[1].GetData()[j] == (grads[1].GetData()[j] + grads[2].GetData()[j])) ? 0 : 1;
+    if (results[1].GetData()[j] == (grads[1].GetData()[j] + grads[2].GetData()[j])) {
+      LG << "Error: wrong reduced gradient data, expect "
+          << (grads[1].GetData()[j] + grads[2].GetData()[j])
+          << " got " << result[1].GetData()[j];
+      return false;
+    }
   }
 
-  return ret;
+  return true;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   KVStore::SetType("local");
 
-  int ret1 = test_single_key();
-  int ret2 = test_multiple_key();
+  bool ret1 = test_single_key();
+  bool ret2 = test_multiple_key();
 
   MXNotifyShutdown();
   return ret1 + ret2;