diff --git a/distributed/tests/test_cancelled_state.py b/distributed/tests/test_cancelled_state.py
index d7bcf1746a4..3f65cfb3fc8 100644
--- a/distributed/tests/test_cancelled_state.py
+++ b/distributed/tests/test_cancelled_state.py
@@ -606,11 +606,10 @@ def test_workerstate_executing_skips_fetch_on_success(ws_with_running_task):
         ComputeTaskEvent.dummy("y", who_has={"x": [ws2]}, stimulus_id="s2"),
         ExecuteSuccessEvent.dummy("x", 123, stimulus_id="s3"),
     )
-    assert len(instructions) == 2
-    assert isinstance(instructions[0], TaskFinishedMsg)
-    assert instructions[0].key == "x"
-    assert instructions[0].stimulus_id == "s3"
-    assert instructions[1] == Execute(key="y", stimulus_id="s3")
+    assert instructions == [
+        TaskFinishedMsg.match(key="x", stimulus_id="s3"),
+        Execute(key="y", stimulus_id="s3"),
+    ]
     assert ws.tasks["x"].state == "memory"
     assert ws.data["x"] == 123
 
@@ -662,12 +661,10 @@ def test_workerstate_flight_skips_executing_on_success(ws):
             worker=ws2, total_nbytes=1, data={"x": 123}, stimulus_id="s4"
         ),
     )
-    assert len(instructions) == 2
-    assert instructions[0] == GatherDep(
-        worker=ws2, to_gather={"x"}, total_nbytes=1, stimulus_id="s1"
-    )
-    assert isinstance(instructions[1], TaskFinishedMsg)
-    assert instructions[1].stimulus_id == "s4"
+    assert instructions == [
+        GatherDep(worker=ws2, to_gather={"x"}, total_nbytes=1, stimulus_id="s1"),
+        TaskFinishedMsg.match(key="x", stimulus_id="s4"),
+    ]
     assert ws.tasks["x"].state == "memory"
     assert ws.data["x"] == 123
 
diff --git a/distributed/tests/test_worker_state_machine.py b/distributed/tests/test_worker_state_machine.py
index e163cee626e..4581505be3d 100644
--- a/distributed/tests/test_worker_state_machine.py
+++ b/distributed/tests/test_worker_state_machine.py
@@ -50,6 +50,20 @@
 )
 
 
+def test_instruction_match():
+    i = ReleaseWorkerDataMsg(key="x", stimulus_id="s1")
+    assert i == ReleaseWorkerDataMsg(key="x", stimulus_id="s1")
+    assert i != ReleaseWorkerDataMsg(key="y", stimulus_id="s1")
+    assert i != ReleaseWorkerDataMsg(key="x", stimulus_id="s2")
+    assert i != RescheduleMsg(key="x", stimulus_id="s1")
+
+    assert i == ReleaseWorkerDataMsg.match(key="x")
+    assert i == ReleaseWorkerDataMsg.match(stimulus_id="s1")
+    assert i != ReleaseWorkerDataMsg.match(key="y")
+    assert i != ReleaseWorkerDataMsg.match(stimulus_id="s2")
+    assert i != RescheduleMsg.match(key="x")
+
+
 def test_TaskState_tracking(cleanup):
     gc.collect()
     x = TaskState("x")
@@ -961,19 +975,16 @@ async def test_deprecated_worker_attributes(s, a, b):
     ],
 )
 def test_aggregate_gather_deps(ws, nbytes, n_in_flight):
+    ws2 = "127.0.0.1:2"
     instructions = ws.handle_stimulus(
         AcquireReplicasEvent(
-            who_has={
-                "x1": ["127.0.0.1:1235"],
-                "x2": ["127.0.0.1:1235"],
-                "x3": ["127.0.0.1:1235"],
-            },
+            who_has={"x1": [ws2], "x2": [ws2], "x3": [ws2]},
             nbytes={"x1": nbytes, "x2": nbytes, "x3": nbytes},
-            stimulus_id="test",
+            stimulus_id="s1",
         )
     )
-    assert len(instructions) == 1
-    assert isinstance(instructions[0], GatherDep)
+    assert instructions == [GatherDep.match(worker=ws2, stimulus_id="s1")]
+    assert len(instructions[0].to_gather) == n_in_flight
     assert len(ws.in_flight_tasks) == n_in_flight
 
 
diff --git a/distributed/worker_state_machine.py b/distributed/worker_state_machine.py
index 1e14fc8f7d7..a2f6e431dd3 100644
--- a/distributed/worker_state_machine.py
+++ b/distributed/worker_state_machine.py
@@ -340,6 +340,56 @@ class Instruction:
     __slots__ = ("stimulus_id",)
     stimulus_id: str
 
+    @classmethod
+    def match(cls, **kwargs: Any) -> _InstructionMatch:
+        """Generate a partial match to compare against an Instruction instance.
+        The typical usage is to compare a list of instructions returned by
+        :meth:`WorkerState.handle_stimulus` or in :attr:`WorkerState.stimulus_log` vs.
+        an expected list of matches.
+
+        Example
+        -------
+
+        .. code-block:: python
+
+            instructions = ws.handle_stimulus(...)
+            assert instructions == [
+                TaskFinishedMsg.match(key="x"),
+                ...
+            ]
+        """
+        return _InstructionMatch(cls, **kwargs)
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if isinstance(other, _InstructionMatch):
+            return other == self
+        else:
+            # Revert to default dataclass behaviour
+            return super().__eq__(other)
+
+
+class _InstructionMatch:
+    """Utility class, to be used to test an instructions list.
+    See :meth:`Instruction.match`.
+    """
+
+    cls: type[Instruction]
+    kwargs: dict[str, Any]
+
+    def __init__(self, cls: type[Instruction], **kwargs: Any):
+        self.cls = cls
+        self.kwargs = kwargs
+
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        cls_str = self.cls.__name__
+        kwargs_str = ", ".join(f"{k}={v}" for k, v in self.kwargs.items())
+        return f"{cls_str}({kwargs_str}) (partial match)"
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if type(other) is not self.cls:
+            return False
+        return all(getattr(other, k) == v for k, v in self.kwargs.items())
+
 
 @dataclass
 class GatherDep(Instruction):
@@ -1861,9 +1911,7 @@ def _transition_cancelled_error(
         # message to the scheduler since from the schedulers POV it already
         # released this task
         if self.validate:
-            assert len(instructions) == 1
-            assert isinstance(instructions[0], TaskErredMsg)
-            assert instructions[0].key == ts.key
+            assert instructions == [TaskErredMsg.match(key=ts.key)]
         instructions.clear()
         # Workers should never "retry" tasks. A transition to error should, by
         # default, be the end. Since cancelled indicates that the scheduler lost