diff --git a/check/test.go b/check/test.go
index 10c629b..e0fcd77 100644
--- a/check/test.go
+++ b/check/test.go
@@ -162,25 +162,29 @@ func compareOp(tCompareOp string, flagVal string, tCompareValue string) (string,
 			testResult = !(flagVal == tCompareValue)
 		}
 
-	case "gt":
-		expectedResultPattern = "%s is greater than %s"
-		a, b := toNumeric(flagVal, tCompareValue)
-		testResult = a > b
-
-	case "gte":
-		expectedResultPattern = "%s is greater or equal to %s"
-		a, b := toNumeric(flagVal, tCompareValue)
-		testResult = a >= b
-
-	case "lt":
-		expectedResultPattern = "%s is lower than %s"
-		a, b := toNumeric(flagVal, tCompareValue)
-		testResult = a < b
-
-	case "lte":
-		expectedResultPattern = "%s is lower or equal to %s"
-		a, b := toNumeric(flagVal, tCompareValue)
-		testResult = a <= b
+	case "gt", "gte", "lt", "lte":
+		a, b, err := toNumeric(flagVal, tCompareValue)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v\n", err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		switch tCompareOp {
+		case "gt":
+			expectedResultPattern = "%s is greater than %s"
+			testResult = a > b
+
+		case "gte":
+			expectedResultPattern = "%s is greater or equal to %s"
+			testResult = a >= b
+
+		case "lt":
+			expectedResultPattern = "%s is lower than %s"
+			testResult = a < b
+
+		case "lte":
+			expectedResultPattern = "%s is lower or equal to %s"
+			testResult = a <= b
+		}
 
 	case "has":
 		expectedResultPattern = "'%s' has '%s'"
@@ -342,18 +346,15 @@ func (ts *tests) execute(s string) *testOutput {
 	return finalOutput
 }
 
-func toNumeric(a, b string) (c, d int) {
-	var err error
-	c, err = strconv.Atoi(a)
+func toNumeric(a, b string) (c, d int, err error) {
+	c, err = strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(a))
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error converting %s: %s\n", a, err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return -1, -1, fmt.Errorf("toNumeric - error converting %s: %s", a, err)
 	}
-	d, err = strconv.Atoi(b)
+	d, err = strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(b))
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error converting %s: %s\n", b, err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return -1, -1, fmt.Errorf("toNumeric - error converting %s: %s", b, err)
 	}
 
-	return c, d
+	return c, d, nil
 }
diff --git a/check/test_test.go b/check/test_test.go
index bd168c2..ff826e9 100644
--- a/check/test_test.go
+++ b/check/test_test.go
@@ -656,3 +656,38 @@ func TestCompareOp(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestToNumeric(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		firstValue     string
+		secondValue    string
+		expectedToFail bool
+	}{
+		{
+			firstValue:     "a",
+			secondValue:    "b",
+			expectedToFail: true,
+		},
+		{
+			firstValue:     "5",
+			secondValue:    "b",
+			expectedToFail: true,
+		},
+		{
+			firstValue:     "5",
+			secondValue:    "6",
+			expectedToFail: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		f, s, err := toNumeric(c.firstValue, c.secondValue)
+		if c.expectedToFail && err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("TestToNumeric - Expected error while converting %s and %s", c.firstValue, c.secondValue)
+		}
+
+		if !c.expectedToFail && (f != 5 || s != 6) {
+			t.Errorf("TestToNumeric - Expected to return %d,%d , but instead got %d,%d", 5, 6, f, s)
+		}
+	}
+}