diff --git a/test/helper.dst b/test/helper.dst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1797a67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helper.dst
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Helper code for running tests
+
+(var num-tests-passed 0)
+(var num-tests-run 0)
+(var suite-num 0)
+
+(defn assert [x e]
+ (++ num-tests-run)
+ (when x (++ num-tests-passed))
+ (print (if x 
+         "  \e[32m✔\e[0m "
+         "  \e[31m✘\e[0m ") e)
+ x)
+
+(defn start-suite [x]
+ (:= suite-num x)
+ (print "\nRunning test suite " x " tests...\n"))
+
+(defn end-suite []
+ (print "\nTest suite " suite-num " finished.")
+ (print num-tests-passed " of " num-tests-run " tests passed.\n")
+ (if (not= num-tests-passed num-tests-run) (exit 1)))
+
diff --git a/test/suite0.dst b/test/suite0.dst
index 4d342cf0..4aa0d429 100644
--- a/test/suite0.dst
+++ b/test/suite0.dst
@@ -18,20 +18,8 @@
 # FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
 # IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
-(print "\nRunning Suite 0 tests...\n")
-
-(var num-tests-passed 0)
-(var num-tests-run 0)
-(def assert (fn [x e]
-	(:= num-tests-run (+ 1 num-tests-run))
-	(if x
-		(do
-			(print "  \e[32m✔\e[0m " e)
-			(:= num-tests-passed (+ 1 num-tests-passed))
-			x)
-		(do
-			(print "  \e[31m✘\e[0m " e)
-			x))))
+(import "test/helper.dst")
+(start-suite 0)
 
 (assert (= 10 (+ 1 2 3 4)) "addition")
 (assert (= -8 (- 1 2 3 4)) "subtraction")
@@ -283,8 +271,5 @@
   (++ i))
  (assert (= i 6) "when macro"))
 
+(end-suite)
 
-# report
-
-(print "\n" num-tests-passed " of " num-tests-run " tests passed\n")
-(if (not= num-tests-passed num-tests-run) (exit 1))
diff --git a/test/suite1.dst b/test/suite1.dst
index d6d40e1e..efb6a42b 100644
--- a/test/suite1.dst
+++ b/test/suite1.dst
@@ -18,20 +18,8 @@
 # FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
 # IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
-(print "\nRunning Suite 1 Tests...\n")
-
-(var num-tests-passed 0)
-(var num-tests-run 0)
-(def assert (fn [x e]
-	(:= num-tests-run (+ 1 num-tests-run))
-	(if x
-		(do
-			(print "  \e[32m✔\e[0m " e)
-			(:= num-tests-passed (+ 1 num-tests-passed))
-			x)
-		(do
-			(print "  \e[31m✘\e[0m " e)
-			x))))
+(import "test/helper.dst")
+(start-suite 1)
 
 (assert (= 400.0 (sqrt 160000)) "sqrt(160000)=400")
 (assert (= (real 400) (sqrt 160000)) "sqrt(160000)=400")
@@ -52,5 +40,4 @@
 (assert (= (myfun true) 8) "check do form regression")
 (assert (= (myfun false) 9) "check do form regression")
 
-(print "\n" num-tests-passed " of " num-tests-run " tests passed\n")
-(if (not= num-tests-passed num-tests-run) (exit 1))
+(end-suite)