diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cm/topologymanager/policy_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/cm/topologymanager/policy_test.go
index 61ca7d0496f..5e8a61b6394 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cm/topologymanager/policy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cm/topologymanager/policy_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package topologymanager
 
 import (
-	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -31,6 +30,92 @@ type policyMergeTestCase struct {
 
 func commonPolicyMergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase {
 	return []policyMergeTestCase{
+		{
+			name: "TopologyHint not set",
+			hp:   []HintProvider{},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HintProvider returns empty non-nil map[string][]TopologyHint",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HintProvider returns -nil map[string][]TopologyHint from provider",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource": nil,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HintProvider returns empty non-nil map[string][]TopologyHint from provider",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource": {},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        false,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Single TopologyHint with Preferred as true and NUMANodeAffinity as nil",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Single TopologyHint with Preferred as false and NUMANodeAffinity as nil",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
+								Preferred:        false,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        false,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, both preferred 1/2",
 			hp: []HintProvider{
@@ -89,6 +174,93 @@ func commonPolicyMergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase {
 				Preferred:        true,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, no common mask",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource1": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource2": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
+				Preferred:        false,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, 1 preferred, 1 not 1/2",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource1": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource2": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
+								Preferred:        false,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
+				Preferred:        false,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, 1 preferred, 1 not 2/2",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource1": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource2": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
+								Preferred:        false,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
+				Preferred:        false,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Two providers, 1 no hints, 1 single hint preferred 1/2",
 			hp: []HintProvider{
@@ -195,6 +367,39 @@ func commonPolicyMergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase {
 				Preferred:        true,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "Two providers, 1 with 2 hints, 1 with single non-preferred hint matching",
+			hp: []HintProvider{
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource1": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
+								Preferred:        true,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				&mockHintProvider{
+					map[string][]TopologyHint{
+						"resource2": {
+							{
+								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0, 1),
+								Preferred:        false,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: TopologyHint{
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
+				Preferred:        false,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Two providers, both with 2 hints, matching narrower preferred hint from both",
 			hp: []HintProvider{
@@ -315,121 +520,6 @@ func commonPolicyMergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase {
 
 func (p *bestEffortPolicy) mergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase {
 	return []policyMergeTestCase{
-		{
-			name: "TopologyHint not set",
-			hp:   []HintProvider{},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "HintProvider returns empty non-nil map[string][]TopologyHint",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "HintProvider returns -nil map[string][]TopologyHint from provider",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": nil,
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "HintProvider returns empty non-nil map[string][]TopologyHint from provider",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": {},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Single TopologyHint with Preferred as true and NUMANodeAffinity as nil",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Single TopologyHint with Preferred as false and NUMANodeAffinity as nil",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, no common mask",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(numaNodes...),
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
 		{
 			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, 1 wider mask, both preferred 1/2",
 			hp: []HintProvider{
@@ -488,188 +578,11 @@ func (p *bestEffortPolicy) mergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase
 				Preferred:        true,
 			},
 		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, 1 preferred, 1 not 1/2",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, 1 preferred, 1 not 2/2",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 with 2 hints, 1 with single non-preferred hint matching",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0, 1),
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
 	}
 }
 
 func (p *singleNumaNodePolicy) mergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTestCase {
 	return []policyMergeTestCase{
-		{
-			name: "TopologyHint not set",
-			hp:   []HintProvider{},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "HintProvider returns empty non-nil map[string][]TopologyHint",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "HintProvider returns -nil map[string][]TopologyHint from provider",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": nil,
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "HintProvider returns empty non-nil map[string][]TopologyHint from provider",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": {},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Single TopologyHint with Preferred as true and NUMANodeAffinity as nil",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        true,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Single TopologyHint with Preferred as false and NUMANodeAffinity as nil",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
 		{
 			name: "Single NUMA hint generation",
 			hp: []HintProvider{
@@ -699,7 +612,7 @@ func (p *singleNumaNodePolicy) mergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTest
 				},
 			},
 			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
+				NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
 				Preferred:        false,
 			},
 		},
@@ -733,126 +646,6 @@ func (p *singleNumaNodePolicy) mergeTestCases(numaNodes []int) []policyMergeTest
 				Preferred:        true,
 			},
 		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, no common mask",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, 1 preferred, 1 not 1/2",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 hint each, same mask, 1 preferred, 1 not 2/2",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Two providers, 1 with 2 hints, 1 with single non-preferred hint matching",
-			hp: []HintProvider{
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource1": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(1),
-								Preferred:        true,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				&mockHintProvider{
-					map[string][]TopologyHint{
-						"resource2": {
-							{
-								NUMANodeAffinity: NewTestBitMask(0, 1),
-								Preferred:        false,
-							},
-						},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: TopologyHint{
-				NUMANodeAffinity: nil,
-				Preferred:        false,
-			},
-		},
 	}
 }
 
@@ -865,8 +658,11 @@ func testPolicyMerge(policy Policy, tcases []policyMergeTestCase, t *testing.T)
 		}
 
 		actual, _ := policy.Merge(providersHints)
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(actual, tc.expected) {
-			t.Errorf("%v: Expected Topology Hint to be %v, got %v:", tc.name, tc.expected, actual)
+		if !actual.NUMANodeAffinity.IsEqual(tc.expected.NUMANodeAffinity) {
+			t.Errorf("%v: Expected NUMANodeAffinity in result to be %v, got %v", tc.name, tc.expected.NUMANodeAffinity, actual.NUMANodeAffinity)
+		}
+		if actual.Preferred != tc.expected.Preferred {
+			t.Errorf("%v: Expected Affinity preference in result to be %v, got %v", tc.name, tc.expected.Preferred, actual.Preferred)
 		}
 	}
 }