diff --git a/flyteadmin/pkg/manager/impl/testutils/mock_requests.go b/flyteadmin/pkg/manager/impl/testutils/mock_requests.go
index 281b90a14d3..b8686122697 100644
--- a/flyteadmin/pkg/manager/impl/testutils/mock_requests.go
+++ b/flyteadmin/pkg/manager/impl/testutils/mock_requests.go
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ func GetValidTaskRequest() *admin.TaskCreateRequest {
 	}
 }
 
-func GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides(project string, domain string, name string, version string) admin.TaskCreateRequest {
-	return admin.TaskCreateRequest{
+func GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides(project string, domain string, name string, version string) *admin.TaskCreateRequest {
+	return &admin.TaskCreateRequest{
 		Id: &core.Identifier{
 			ResourceType: core.ResourceType_TASK,
 			Project:      project,
@@ -78,11 +78,6 @@ func GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides(project string, domain string, name string
 	}
 }
 
-func GetValidTaskSpecBytes() []byte {
-	bytes, _ := proto.Marshal(GetValidTaskRequest().Spec)
-	return bytes
-}
-
 func GetWorkflowRequest() *admin.WorkflowCreateRequest {
 	identifier := core.Identifier{
 		ResourceType: core.ResourceType_WORKFLOW,
diff --git a/flyteadmin/pkg/rpc/adminservice/tests/task_test.go b/flyteadmin/pkg/rpc/adminservice/tests/task_test.go
index 20faae59bad..2e4d5a8287e 100644
--- a/flyteadmin/pkg/rpc/adminservice/tests/task_test.go
+++ b/flyteadmin/pkg/rpc/adminservice/tests/task_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flyte/flytestdlib/utils"
 )
 
-var taskIdentifier = core.Identifier{
+var taskIdentifier = &core.Identifier{
 	ResourceType: core.ResourceType_TASK,
 	Name:         "Name",
 	Domain:       "Domain",
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func TestTaskHappyCase(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	resp, err := mockServer.CreateTask(ctx, &admin.TaskCreateRequest{
-		Id: &taskIdentifier,
+		Id: taskIdentifier,
 	})
 	assert.NotNil(t, resp)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/flyteadmin/tests/task_test.go b/flyteadmin/tests/task_test.go
index e11f499bf2b..72dbf9a28db 100644
--- a/flyteadmin/tests/task_test.go
+++ b/flyteadmin/tests/task_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestCreateBasic(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Test that task creation and retrieval works
 	valid := testutils.GetValidTaskRequest()
-	response, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	response, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	task, err := client.GetTask(ctx, &admin.ObjectGetRequest{
 		Id: valid.Id,
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func TestCreateBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	// Currently the returned object does not have the URN
 
 	// Test creating twice in a row fails on uniqueness
-	response, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	response, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.Nil(t, response)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 	assert.True(t, strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already exists"))
@@ -353,20 +353,20 @@ func TestListTaskIdsWithMultipleTaskVersions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Create two versions of one task and one version of another task, and one unrelated task
 	valid := testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "domain", "name", "v1")
-	_, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	valid = testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "domain", "name", "v2")
-	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	valid = testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "domain", "secondtask", "v1")
-	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// This last one should not show up.
 	valid = testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "development", "hidden", "v1")
-	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// We should only get back two entities
@@ -423,20 +423,20 @@ func TestListTaskIdsWithPagination(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Create two versions of one task and one version of another task, and one unrelated task
 	valid := testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "domain", "name", "v1")
-	_, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	valid = testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "domain", "name", "v2")
-	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	valid = testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "domain", "secondtask", "v1")
-	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// This last one should not show up.
 	valid = testutils.GetValidTaskRequestWithOverrides("project", "development", "hidden", "v1")
-	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err = client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// We should only get back one entity
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ func TestCreateInvalidTaskType(t *testing.T) {
 	// Test that task creation fails based on task type
 	valid := testutils.GetValidTaskRequest()
 	valid.Spec.Template.Type = "sparkonk8s"
-	_, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, &valid)
+	_, err := client.CreateTask(ctx, valid)
 	assert.NotNil(t, err)
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "task type must be whitelisted before use")
 }