diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cb365de..8bb3149 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ format:
 ############
 
 test: $(BIN)/sql_tests $(BIN)/sql_grammar_test
-	@LD_LIBRARY_PATH=./ $(BIN)/sql_grammar_test -f "test/lib/valid_queries.sql"
-	@LD_LIBRARY_PATH=./ $(BIN)/sql_tests
+	bash test/test.sh
 
 $(BIN)/sql_tests: library
 	@mkdir -p $(BIN)/
diff --git a/test/lib/test.cpp b/test/lib/test.cpp
index c691f97..c2be54e 100644
--- a/test/lib/test.cpp
+++ b/test/lib/test.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ int AddTest(void (*foo)(void), std::string name) {
 
 
 
-void RunTests() {
+size_t RunTests() {
     size_t numFailed = 0;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < TestsManager::tests().size(); ++i) {
         printf("\033[0;32m{ running}\033[0m %s\n", TestsManager::testNames()[i].c_str());
@@ -43,13 +43,17 @@ void RunTests() {
             printf("\tAssertion failed: %s\n\033[0m", e.what());
             numFailed++;
         }
-
     }
+    return numFailed;
 }
 
 
 
 int main() {
-    RunTests();
-    return 0;
+    size_t numFailed = RunTests();
+    if (numFailed == 0) {
+        return 0;
+    } else {
+        return -1;
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/sql_grammar_test.cpp b/test/sql_grammar_test.cpp
index 2ea5dbd..e4ca602 100644
--- a/test/sql_grammar_test.cpp
+++ b/test/sql_grammar_test.cpp
@@ -86,10 +86,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
     if (numFailed == 0) {
         printf("\033[0;32m{      ok} \033[0mAll %lu grammar tests completed successfully!\n", queries.size());
+        return 0;
     } else {
         fprintf(stderr, "\033[0;31m{  failed} \033[0mSome grammar tests failed! %d out of %lu tests failed!\n", numFailed, queries.size());
+        return -1;
     }
-
-
-	return 0;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test.sh b/test/test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..edf80fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+
+# has to be executed from the root of the repository
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:./
+
+bin/sql_grammar_test -f "test/lib/valid_queries.sql"
+RET1=$?
+
+bin/sql_tests
+RET2=$?
+
+if [[ $RET1 != 0 ]]; then exit $RET1; fi
+if [[ $RET2 != 0 ]]; then exit $RET2; fi
+
+exit 0