diff --git a/src/tests/ftest/server/cpu_usage.py b/src/tests/ftest/server/cpu_usage.py
index ad81f208695..d25d9fe1b60 100644
--- a/src/tests/ftest/server/cpu_usage.py
+++ b/src/tests/ftest/server/cpu_usage.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """
   (C) Copyright 2020-2022 Intel Corporation.
-  (C) Copyright 2025 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+  (C) Copyright 2025-2026 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
 
   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause-Patent
 """
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ def verify_usage(self, usage, usage_limit):
             usage (str): daos_engine CPU usage.
             usage_limit (int): Limit that we want daos_engine to use.
         """
-        self.assertTrue(usage != -1, "daos_engine CPU usage couldn't be obtained!")
-        self.assertTrue(
-            float(usage) < usage_limit, "CPU usage is above {}%: {}%".format(usage, usage_limit))
+        self.assertNotEqual(usage, -1, "daos_engine CPU usage couldn't be obtained!")
+        self.assertLess(
+            float(usage), usage_limit, "CPU usage is above {}%: {}%".format(usage, usage_limit))
 
     def test_cpu_usage(self):
         """JIRA ID: DAOS-4826.
diff --git a/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/pool_svc_metrics.py b/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/pool_svc_metrics.py
index 31f82e0aae4..16eb100ea08 100644
--- a/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/pool_svc_metrics.py
+++ b/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/pool_svc_metrics.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 '''
   (C) Copyright 2024 Intel Corporation.
-  (C) Copyright 2025 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+  (C) Copyright 2025-2026 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
 
   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause-Patent
 '''
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ def test_pool_service_metrics(self):
 
         self.log_step("Collect pool service metrics prior to making changes.")
         initial_metrics = self.collect_svc_telemetry(pool.uuid)
-        self.assertTrue(MAP_VERSION_METRIC in initial_metrics,
-                        f"initial metrics don't contain {MAP_VERSION_METRIC} (no leader?)")
-        self.assertTrue(initial_metrics[MAP_VERSION_METRIC] == 1,
-                        "initial pool service map version is not 1")
-        self.assertTrue(initial_metrics[DEGRADED_RANKS_METRIC] == 0,
-                        "initial pool service degraded rank count is not 0")
+        self.assertIn(MAP_VERSION_METRIC, initial_metrics,
+                      f"initial metrics don't contain {MAP_VERSION_METRIC} (no leader?)")
+        self.assertEqual(initial_metrics[MAP_VERSION_METRIC], 1,
+                         "initial pool service map version is not 1")
+        self.assertEqual(initial_metrics[DEGRADED_RANKS_METRIC], 0,
+                         "initial pool service degraded rank count is not 0")
 
         restart_rank = initial_metrics[SVC_LEADER_METRIC]
         self.log_step(f"Stop pool service leader rank: {restart_rank}")
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ def _wait_for_telemetry(test):
         metrics = _wait_for_telemetry(lambda m: m[MAP_VERSION_METRIC] > 1)
 
         self.log_step("Verify that the pool service telemetry has updated.")
-        self.assertTrue(metrics[DEGRADED_RANKS_METRIC] == 1,
-                        "pool service degraded rank count should be 1")
+        self.assertEqual(metrics[DEGRADED_RANKS_METRIC], 1,
+                         "pool service degraded rank count should be 1")
 
         self.log_step("Restart the stopped rank.")
         self.server_managers[0].start_ranks(ranks=[restart_rank])
diff --git a/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/telemetry_pool_metrics.py b/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/telemetry_pool_metrics.py
index 4271beddc29..2681154ea8d 100644
--- a/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/telemetry_pool_metrics.py
+++ b/src/tests/ftest/telemetry/telemetry_pool_metrics.py
@@ -186,10 +186,14 @@ def test_telemetry_pool_metrics(self):
         for name in expected_values:
             val = metrics[name]
             min_val, max_val = expected_values[name]
-            self.assertTrue(
-                min_val <= val <= max_val,
+            self.assertLessEqual(
+                min_val, val,
                 "Aggregated value of the metric {} for oclass {} is invalid: "
-                "got={}, wait_in=[{}, {}]".format(name, self.dfs_oclass, val, min_val, max_val))
+                "got={} > wait_in min{}".format(name, self.dfs_oclass, val, min_val))
+            self.assertLessEqual(
+                val, max_val,
+                "Aggregated value of the metric {} for oclass {} is invalid: "
+                "got={} > wait_in max{}".format(name, self.dfs_oclass, val, max_val))
             self.log.debug(
                 "Successfully check the metric %s for oclass %s: "
                 "got=%d, wait_in=[%d, %d]", name, self.dfs_oclass, val, min_val, max_val)