diff --git a/internal/kokoro/test.sh b/internal/kokoro/test.sh
index 059aa30b7ab..25005398e77 100755
--- a/internal/kokoro/test.sh
+++ b/internal/kokoro/test.sh
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT="dulcet-port-762"
 export GCLOUD_TESTS_IMPERSONATE_READER_KEY="${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-impersonate-reader-service-account"
 export GCLOUD_TESTS_IMPERSONATE_READER_EMAIL="impersonate-reader@${GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT}.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
 export GCLOUD_TESTS_IMPERSONATE_WRITER_EMAIL="impersonate-writer@${GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT}.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
-export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_PROJECT_NUMBER=`cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-project-number`
-export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_CLIENT_ID=`cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-client-id`
-export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ACCOUNT_ID=`cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aws-acc-id`
-export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ROLE_NAME=`cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aws-role-name`
+export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_PROJECT_NUMBER=$(cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-project-number)
+export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_CLIENT_ID=$(cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-client-id)
+export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ACCOUNT_ID=$(cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aws-acc-id)
+export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ROLE_NAME=$(cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aws-role-name)
 export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ROLE_ID="arn:aws:iam::$GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ACCOUNT_ID:role/$GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AWS_ROLE_NAME"
-export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AUDIENCE_OIDC=`cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aud-oidc`
-export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AUDIENCE_AWS=`cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aud-aws`
+export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AUDIENCE_OIDC=$(cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aud-oidc)
+export GCLOUD_TESTS_GOLANG_AUDIENCE_AWS=$(cat ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/secret_manager/go-cloud-integration-byoid-aud-aws)
 export GOOGLE_EXTERNAL_ACCOUNT_ALLOW_EXECUTABLES="1"
 
 # Display commands being run
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@ if [[ $KOKORO_JOB_NAME == *"continuous"* ]]; then
     # xUnit XML file.
     cat $KOKORO_ARTIFACTS_DIR/$KOKORO_GERRIT_CHANGE_NUMBER.txt |
         go-junit-report -set-exit-code >sponge_log.xml
-    exit_code=$($?)
+    exit_code=$(($exit_code + $?))
 else
     go test -race -v -short ./... 2>&1 | tee $KOKORO_ARTIFACTS_DIR/$KOKORO_GERRIT_CHANGE_NUMBER.txt
-    exit_code=$($?)
+    exit_code=$(($exit_code + $?))
 fi
 
 if [[ $KOKORO_BUILD_ARTIFACTS_SUBDIR = *"continuous"* ]]; then