diff --git a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_stats_handler_test.go b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_stats_handler_test.go
index b5b3e9f88fc..96a257c8c07 100644
--- a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_stats_handler_test.go
+++ b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_stats_handler_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ func TestStatsHandler(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("OTEL_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_FILTER", "always_off")
 			clientSR := tracetest.NewSpanRecorder()
 			clientTP := trace.NewTracerProvider(trace.WithSpanProcessor(clientSR))
 			clientMetricReader := metric.NewManualReader()
diff --git a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_test.go b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_test.go
index 42f4e368deb..7473edee1ab 100644
--- a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_test.go
+++ b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/grpc_test.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func doCalls(ctx context.Context, client pb.TestServiceClient) {
 }
 
 func TestInterceptors(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("OTEL_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_FILTER", "always_off")
 	clientUnarySR := tracetest.NewSpanRecorder()
 	clientUnaryTP := trace.NewTracerProvider(trace.WithSpanProcessor(clientUnarySR))
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/interceptor_test.go b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/interceptor_test.go
index c343d5c66d7..056e08b00c2 100644
--- a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/interceptor_test.go
+++ b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/interceptor_test.go
@@ -857,6 +857,7 @@ func TestUnaryServerInterceptor(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, check := range serverChecks {
 		name := check.grpcCode.String()
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("OTEL_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_FILTER", "always_off")
 			sr := tracetest.NewSpanRecorder()
 			tp := trace.NewTracerProvider(trace.WithSpanProcessor(sr))
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/stats_handler_test.go b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/stats_handler_test.go
index 047f963f636..1f96bbd4f8e 100644
--- a/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/stats_handler_test.go
+++ b/instrumentation/google.golang.org/grpc/otelgrpc/test/stats_handler_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func TestStatsHandlerHandleRPCServerErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, check := range serverChecks {
 		name := check.grpcCode.String()
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("OTEL_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_FILTER", "always_off")
 			sr := tracetest.NewSpanRecorder()
 			tp := trace.NewTracerProvider(trace.WithSpanProcessor(sr))
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp/test/handler_test.go b/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp/test/handler_test.go
index 31c174af8e3..0f56f8af959 100644
--- a/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp/test/handler_test.go
+++ b/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp/test/handler_test.go
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ func assertScopeMetrics(t *testing.T, sm metricdata.ScopeMetrics, attrs attribut
 }
 
 func TestHandlerBasics(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("OTEL_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_FILTER", "always_off")
 	rr := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 	spanRecorder := tracetest.NewSpanRecorder()
@@ -501,6 +502,7 @@ func TestSpanStatus(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestWithRouteTag(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("OTEL_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_FILTER", "always_off")
 	route := "/some/route"
 
 	spanRecorder := tracetest.NewSpanRecorder()