diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/iotest/strtst.c b/icu4c/source/test/iotest/strtst.c
index 6c2e86ffbe..141f8977ee 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/iotest/strtst.c
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/iotest/strtst.c
@@ -377,7 +377,8 @@ static void TestSprintfFormat(void) {
 #if !UCONFIG_NO_FORMATTING
     static const UChar abcUChars[] = {0x61,0x62,0x63,0};
     static const char abcChars[] = "abc";
-    const char *format = "%2$d==>%1$-10.10s %4$-10.10s %3$#x\n%5$d"; /* reordering test*/
+    const char *reorderFormat = "%2$d==>%1$-10.10s %4$-10.10s %3$#x((%5$d"; /* reordering test*/
+    const char *reorderResult = "99==>truncateif 1234567890 0xf1b93((10";
     UChar uBuffer[256];
     char buffer[256];
     char compBuffer[256];
@@ -490,25 +491,13 @@ static void TestSprintfFormat(void) {
     TestSPrintFormat("%3f", 1.234,       "%3f", 1.234);
     TestSPrintFormat("%3f", -1.234,      "%3f", -1.234);
     
-    /* Test reordering format */
-    /* Reinitialize the buffer to verify null termination works. */
-    u_memset(uBuffer, 0x2a, sizeof(uBuffer)/sizeof(*uBuffer));
-    memset(buffer, '*', sizeof(buffer)/sizeof(*buffer));
-    
-    cNumPrinted = sprintf(buffer, format,"truncateiftoolong", 99, 990099, "12345678901234567890", 10);
-    uNumPrinted = u_sprintf(uBuffer, format,"truncateiftoolong", 99, 990099, "12345678901234567890", 10);
+    /* Test reordering format */   
+    u_sprintf(uBuffer, reorderFormat,"truncateiftoolong", 99, 990099, "12345678901234567890", 10);
     u_austrncpy(compBuffer, uBuffer, sizeof(uBuffer)/sizeof(uBuffer[0]));
    
-    if (strcmp(buffer, compBuffer) != 0) {
-        log_err("%s Got: \"%s\", Expected: \"%s\"\n", format, compBuffer, buffer);
-    }
-    if (cNumPrinted != uNumPrinted) {
-        log_err("%s number printed Got: %d, Expected: %d\n", format, uNumPrinted, cNumPrinted);\
-    }
-    if (buffer[uNumPrinted+1] != '*') {
-        log_err("%s too much stored\n", format);
-    }
-    
+    if (strcmp(compBuffer, reorderResult) != 0) {
+        log_err("%s Got: \"%s\", Expected: \"%s\"\n", reorderFormat, compBuffer, buffer);
+    }    
 #endif
 }