diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/0052.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/0052.phpt
index 986e8a75..11ced488 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/0052.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/0052.phpt
@@ -17,8 +17,13 @@ this test is very similar to test_scrollable.phpt... might consider removing thi
     $columns = array(new AE\ColumnMeta('int', 'id'),
                      new AE\ColumnMeta('char(10)', 'value'));
     $stmt = AE\createTable($conn, $tableName, $columns);
+    if (!$stmt) {
+        fatalError("Failed to create table for the test]n");
+    }
     sqlsrv_free_stmt($stmt);
-
+    
+    // Always Encrypted feature only supports SQLSRV_CURSOR_FORWARD or 
+    // SQLSRV_CURSOR_CLIENT_BUFFERED
     $query = "SELECT * FROM $tableName";
     if (AE\isColEncrypted()) {
         $options = array('Scrollable' => SQLSRV_CURSOR_FORWARD);
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc b/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc
index a726e93d..a2657146 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/MsHelper.inc
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class ColumnMeta
         
         if (stripos($this->options, "identity") !== false) {
             $this->encryptable = false;
-        } elseif (in_array($this->dataType, $unsupported)) { 
+        } elseif (in_array(strtolower($this->dataType), $unsupported)) { 
             $this->encryptable = false;
         } else {
             $this->encryptable = true;
@@ -381,36 +381,6 @@ function createTable($conn, $tbname, $columnMetaArr)
     return sqlsrv_query($conn, $createSql);
 }
 
-/**
- * Create a table with options for sqlsrv_prepare()
- * @param  resource  $conn : sqlsrv connection resource
- * @param  string  $tbname : name of the table to be created
- * @param  array  $columnMetaArr : array of ColumnMeta objects, which contain metadata for one column
- * @param  array  $options : array of options for sqlsrv_prepare()
- * @return resource sqlsrv statement resource
- */
-function createTableEx($conn, $tbname, $columnMetaArr, $options)
-{
-    require_once("MsCommon.inc");
-    dropTable($conn, $tbname);
-    $colDef = "";
-    foreach ($columnMetaArr as $meta) {
-        $colDef = $colDef . $meta->getColDef() . ", ";
-    }
-    $colDef = rtrim($colDef, ", ");
-    $createSql = "CREATE TABLE $tbname ( $colDef )";
-    $stmt = sqlsrv_prepare($conn, $createSql, array(), $options);
-    if ($stmt) {
-        $res = sqlsrv_execute($stmt);
-        if ($res == false) {
-            fatalError("createTableEx: failed to execute the query to create table\n");
-        }
-    } else {
-        fatalError("createTableEx: failed to prepare the statement to create table\n");
-    }
-    return $stmt;
-}
-
 /**
  * Insert a row into a table
  * @param  resource  $conn : sqlsrv connection resource
@@ -435,7 +405,7 @@ function insertRow($conn, $tbname, $inputs, &$r = null, $api = INSERT_QUERY)
                 $stmt = sqlsrv_prepare($conn, $insertSql);
                 if ($stmt) {
                     $r = sqlsrv_execute($stmt);
-                }
+                } 
                 break;
         }
     } else {
@@ -462,6 +432,7 @@ function insertRow($conn, $tbname, $inputs, &$r = null, $api = INSERT_QUERY)
             $stmt = sqlsrv_query($conn, $insertSql, $params);
         }
     }
+    
     return $stmt;
 }
 
@@ -681,7 +652,6 @@ function insertTestRow($conn, $tbname, $index)
         echo("Invalid row index $index for test data!\n");
         return false;
     }
-
     // get array of input values
     $inputArray = getInsertArray($index);
     if (empty($inputArray)) {
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_buffered.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_buffered.phpt
index ffcdf479..e05267aa 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_buffered.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_buffered.phpt
@@ -19,12 +19,7 @@ function insertOneRow($conn, $tableName)
                       "Field7" => "This is field 7.");
         $query = AE\getInsertSqlPlaceholders($tableName, $data);
 
-        // form the array of parameters
-        $params = array();
-        foreach ($data as $key => $input) {
-            array_push($params, $input);
-        }
-        $stmt = sqlsrv_prepare($conn, $query, $params, array("Scrollable"=>SQLSRV_CURSOR_CLIENT_BUFFERED));
+        $stmt = sqlsrv_prepare($conn, $query, array_values($data), array("Scrollable"=>SQLSRV_CURSOR_CLIENT_BUFFERED));
     } else {
         $query = "INSERT INTO $tableName ([Field2], [Field3], [Field4], [Field5], [Field6], [Field7]) VALUES ('This is field 2.', 0x010203, 'This is field 4.', 0x040506, 'This is field 6.', 'This is field 7.' )";
         $stmt = sqlsrv_prepare($conn, $query, array(), array("Scrollable"=>SQLSRV_CURSOR_CLIENT_BUFFERED));
@@ -75,7 +70,10 @@ $columns = array(new AE\ColumnMeta('int', 'Id', 'NOT NULL Identity (100,2) PRIMA
                  new AE\ColumnMeta('varchar(max)', 'Field6'),
                  new AE\ColumnMeta('nvarchar(max)', 'Field7'));
 
-AE\createTableEx($conn, $tableName, $columns, array("Scrollable"=>SQLSRV_CURSOR_CLIENT_BUFFERED));
+$stmt = AE\createTable($conn, $tableName, $columns);
+if (!$stmt) {
+    fatalError("Failed to create table for the test\n");
+}
 $stmt = insertOneRow($conn, $tableName);
 
 $f2 = fopen('php://memory', 'a');
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_fetch_object_unicode_col_name2.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_fetch_object_unicode_col_name2.phpt
index b11a836c..ce96533d 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_fetch_object_unicode_col_name2.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/sqlsrv_fetch_object_unicode_col_name2.phpt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ sqlsrv_fetch_object() into a class with Unicode column name
 --FILE--
 <?php
 
-// Define the Product classes
+// Define the Product class
 class Product
 {
     public function __construct($ID, $UID)
diff --git a/test/functional/sqlsrv/srv_230_sqlsrv_buffered_numeric_types.phpt b/test/functional/sqlsrv/srv_230_sqlsrv_buffered_numeric_types.phpt
index f1550024..bdcb0752 100644
--- a/test/functional/sqlsrv/srv_230_sqlsrv_buffered_numeric_types.phpt
+++ b/test/functional/sqlsrv/srv_230_sqlsrv_buffered_numeric_types.phpt
@@ -47,11 +47,17 @@ AE\createTable($conn, $tableName, $columns);
 $res = null;
 $params = array($sample, $sample1, $sample2, $sample3, $sample4, $sample5, 0, 0, 0);
 $data = getInputData($params);
-AE\insertRow($conn, $tableName, $data, $res, AE\INSERT_QUERY_PARAMS);
+$stmt = AE\insertRow($conn, $tableName, $data, $res, AE\INSERT_QUERY_PARAMS);
+if (!$stmt) {
+    fatalError("Failed to insert into $tableName!");
+}
 
 $params = array($sample4, $sample5, 100000, -1234567, $sample, $sample1, 0, 0, 0);
 $data = getInputData($params);
-AE\insertRow($conn, $tableName, $data, $res, AE\INSERT_QUERY_PARAMS);
+$stmt = AE\insertRow($conn, $tableName, $data, $res, AE\INSERT_QUERY_PARAMS);
+if (!$stmt) {
+    fatalError("Failed to insert into $tableName!");
+}
 
 $query = "SELECT TOP 2 * FROM $tableName";
 $stmt = AE\executeQueryEx($conn, $query, array("Scrollable"=>SQLSRV_CURSOR_CLIENT_BUFFERED));