diff --git a/app/aws/s3.py b/app/aws/s3.py
index 7886b8f3a..189c6b4a9 100644
--- a/app/aws/s3.py
+++ b/app/aws/s3.py
@@ -104,15 +104,20 @@ def download_from_s3(
         region_name=region,
     )
     s3 = session.client("s3", config=AWS_CLIENT_CONFIG)
+    result = None
     try:
-        s3.download_file(bucket_name, s3_key, local_filename)
+        result = s3.download_file(bucket_name, s3_key, local_filename)
         print(f"File downloaded successfully to {local_filename}")
-    except botocore.exceptions.NoCredentialsError:
+    except botocore.exceptions.NoCredentialsError as nce:
         print("Credentials not found")
-    except botocore.exceptions.PartialCredentialsError:
+        raise Exception(nce)
+    except botocore.exceptions.PartialCredentialsError as pce:
         print("Incomplete credentials provided")
+        raise Exception(pce)
     except Exception as e:
         print(f"An error occurred {e}")
+        raise Exception(e)
+    return result
 
 
 def get_s3_object(bucket_name, file_location, access_key, secret_key, region):
diff --git a/tests/app/test_commands.py b/tests/app/test_commands.py
index 7b4885660..817f2e4bf 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_commands.py
@@ -428,9 +428,7 @@ def test_promote_user_to_platform_admin(
     assert user.platform_admin is True
 
 
-def test_download_csv_file_by_name(
-    notify_api, sample_platform_admin
-):
+def test_download_csv_file_by_name(notify_api, sample_platform_admin):
     assert sample_platform_admin.platform_admin is True
 
     result = notify_api.test_cli_runner().invoke(
@@ -440,8 +438,9 @@ def test_download_csv_file_by_name(
         ],
     )
 
-    print(result)
-    assert result == '404'
+    # if we get a 404, it means that the file is not in s3 (of course)
+    # but we are making the call to s3, etc. so that part is working
+    assert "404" in str(result)
 
 
 def test_promote_user_to_platform_admin_no_result_found(