diff --git a/tests/vectors_kem.c b/tests/vectors_kem.c
index a3dfe99cf..eef566358 100644
--- a/tests/vectors_kem.c
+++ b/tests/vectors_kem.c
@@ -78,6 +78,20 @@ static void hexStringToByteArray(const char *hexString, uint8_t *byteArray) {
 }
 
 #ifdef OQS_ENABLE_KEM_ML_KEM
+/* fetch value of 'K' from MlL-KEM version */
+uint8_t get_ml_kem_k(const char *method) {
+	if (0 == strcmp(method, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_512)) {
+		return 2;
+	} else if (0 == strcmp(method, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_768)) {
+		return 3;
+	} else if (0 == strcmp(method, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_1024)) {
+		return 4;
+	} else {
+		return 0;  // Default/error case
+	}
+}
+
+/* sanity check for private/decaps key */
 static inline bool sanityCheckSK(const uint8_t *sk, const char *method_name) {
 	/* sanity checks */
 	if ((NULL == sk) || (NULL == method_name) || (false == is_ml_kem(method_name))) {
@@ -88,7 +102,11 @@ static inline bool sanityCheckSK(const uint8_t *sk, const char *method_name) {
 	uint8_t pkdig[SHA256_OP_LEN] = {0};
 	/* fetch the value of k according to the ML-KEM algorithm as per FIPS-203
 	K = 2 for ML-KEM-512, K = 3 for ML-KEM-768 & K = 4 for ML-KEM-1024 */
-	uint8_t K = (0 == strcmp(method_name, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_512)) ? 2 : (0 == strcmp(method_name, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_768)) ? 3 : 4;
+	uint8_t K = get_ml_kem_k(method_name);
+	if (0 == K) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "K value can be fetched only for ML-KEM !\n");
+		return false;
+	}
 	/* calcualte hash of the public key(len = 384k+32) stored in private key at offset of 384k */
 	OQS_SHA3_sha3_256(pkdig, sk + (ML_KEM_BLOCKSIZE * K), (ML_KEM_BLOCKSIZE * K) + 32);
 	/* compare it with public key hash stored at 768k+32 offset */
@@ -98,6 +116,7 @@ static inline bool sanityCheckSK(const uint8_t *sk, const char *method_name) {
 	return true;
 }
 
+/* sanity check for public/encaps key */
 static inline bool sanityCheckPK(const uint8_t *pk, size_t pkLen, const char *method_name) {
 	/* sanity checks */
 	if ((NULL == pk) || (0 == pkLen) ||  (NULL == method_name) || (false == is_ml_kem(method_name))) {
@@ -107,7 +126,11 @@ static inline bool sanityCheckPK(const uint8_t *pk, size_t pkLen, const char *me
 	unsigned int i, j;
 	/* fetch the value of k according to the ML-KEM algorithm as per FIPS-203
 	K = 2 for ML-KEM-512, K = 3 for ML-KEM-768 & K = 4 for ML-KEM-1024 */
-	uint8_t K = (0 == strcmp(method_name, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_512)) ? 2 : (0 == strcmp(method_name, OQS_KEM_alg_ml_kem_768)) ? 3 : 4;
+	uint8_t K = get_ml_kem_k(method_name);
+	if (0 == K) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "K value can be fetched only for ML-KEM !\n");
+		return false;
+	}
 	/* buffer to hold decoded value. max value used, so same buffer could be used for ML-KEM versions
 	encaps key is of length 384K bytes(384K*8 bits). Grouped into 12-bit values, the buffer requires (384*K*8)/12 = 256*K entries of 12 bits */
 	uint16_t buffd[ML_KEM_N * ML_KEM_K_MAX] = {0};
@@ -119,8 +142,8 @@ static inline bool sanityCheckPK(const uint8_t *pk, size_t pkLen, const char *me
 		buff_dec = &buffd[i * ML_KEM_N];
 		const uint8_t *curr_pk = &pk[i * ML_KEM_BLOCKSIZE];
 		for (j = 0; j < ML_KEM_N / 2; j++) {
-			buff_dec[2 * j] = ((curr_pk[3 * j + 0] >> 0) | ((uint16_t)curr_pk[3 * j + 1] << 8)) & 0xFFF;
-			buff_dec[2 * j] = MOD_Q(buff_dec[2 * j]);
+			buff_dec[2 * j + 0] = ((curr_pk[3 * j + 0] >> 0) | ((uint16_t)curr_pk[3 * j + 1] << 8)) & 0xFFF;
+			buff_dec[2 * j + 0] = MOD_Q(buff_dec[2 * j]);
 			buff_dec[2 * j + 1] = ((curr_pk[3 * j + 1] >> 4) | ((uint16_t)curr_pk[3 * j + 2] << 4)) & 0xFFF;
 			buff_dec[2 * j + 1] = MOD_Q(buff_dec[2 * j + 1]);
 		}