diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d6ff166ec8..7e2017006f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   ([#2528](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/2528))
 - Fix delta histogram sum not being reset on collection
   ([#2533](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/2533))
+- Add InMemoryMetricReader to metrics SDK
+  ([#2540](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/2540))
 
 ## [1.10.0-0.29b0](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/releases/tag/v1.10.0-0.29b0) - 2022-03-10
 
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_metrics/export/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_metrics/export/__init__.py
index 284629330f..dc172a48af 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_metrics/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_metrics/export/__init__.py
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 from enum import Enum
 from os import environ, linesep
 from sys import stdout
-from threading import Event, Thread
-from typing import IO, Callable, Iterable, Optional, Sequence
+from threading import Event, RLock, Thread
+from typing import IO, Callable, Iterable, List, Optional, Sequence
 
 from opentelemetry.context import (
     _SUPPRESS_INSTRUMENTATION_KEY,
@@ -96,6 +96,36 @@ def shutdown(self) -> None:
         pass
 
 
+class InMemoryMetricReader(MetricReader):
+    """Implementation of :class:`MetricReader` that returns its metrics from :func:`metrics`.
+
+    This is useful for e.g. unit tests.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        preferred_temporality: AggregationTemporality = AggregationTemporality.CUMULATIVE,
+    ) -> None:
+        super().__init__(preferred_temporality=preferred_temporality)
+        self._lock = RLock()
+        self._metrics: List[Metric] = []
+
+    def get_metrics(self) -> List[Metric]:
+        """Reads and returns current metrics from the SDK"""
+        with self._lock:
+            self.collect()
+            metrics = self._metrics
+            self._metrics = []
+        return metrics
+
+    def _receive_metrics(self, metrics: Iterable[Metric]):
+        with self._lock:
+            self._metrics = list(metrics)
+
+    def shutdown(self) -> bool:
+        return True
+
+
 class PeriodicExportingMetricReader(MetricReader):
     """`PeriodicExportingMetricReader` is an implementation of `MetricReader`
     that collects metrics based on a user-configurable time interval, and passes the
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_in_memory_metric_reader.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_in_memory_metric_reader.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f69fcea9e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_in_memory_metric_reader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
+from opentelemetry._metrics.measurement import Measurement
+from opentelemetry.sdk._metrics import MeterProvider
+from opentelemetry.sdk._metrics.export import InMemoryMetricReader
+from opentelemetry.sdk._metrics.point import (
+    AggregationTemporality,
+    Metric,
+    Sum,
+)
+from opentelemetry.sdk.resources import Resource
+from opentelemetry.sdk.util.instrumentation import InstrumentationInfo
+
+
+class TestInMemoryMetricReader(TestCase):
+    def test_no_metrics(self):
+        mock_collect_callback = Mock(return_value=[])
+        reader = InMemoryMetricReader()
+        reader._set_collect_callback(mock_collect_callback)
+        self.assertEqual(reader.get_metrics(), [])
+        mock_collect_callback.assert_called_once()
+
+    def test_converts_metrics_to_list(self):
+        metric = Metric(
+            attributes={"myattr": "baz"},
+            description="",
+            instrumentation_info=InstrumentationInfo("testmetrics"),
+            name="foo",
+            resource=Resource.create(),
+            unit="",
+            point=Sum(
+                start_time_unix_nano=1647626444152947792,
+                time_unix_nano=1647626444153163239,
+                value=72.3309814450449,
+                aggregation_temporality=AggregationTemporality.CUMULATIVE,
+                is_monotonic=True,
+            ),
+        )
+        mock_collect_callback = Mock(return_value=(metric,))
+        reader = InMemoryMetricReader()
+        reader._set_collect_callback(mock_collect_callback)
+
+        returned_metrics = reader.get_metrics()
+        mock_collect_callback.assert_called_once()
+        self.assertIsInstance(returned_metrics, list)
+        self.assertEqual(len(returned_metrics), 1)
+        self.assertIs(returned_metrics[0], metric)
+
+    def test_shutdown(self):
+        # shutdown should always be successful
+        self.assertTrue(InMemoryMetricReader().shutdown())
+
+    def test_integration(self):
+        reader = InMemoryMetricReader()
+        meter = MeterProvider(metric_readers=[reader]).get_meter("test_meter")
+        counter1 = meter.create_counter("counter1")
+        meter.create_observable_gauge(
+            "observable_gauge1", lambda: [Measurement(value=12)]
+        )
+        counter1.add(1, {"foo": "1"})
+        counter1.add(1, {"foo": "2"})
+
+        metrics = reader.get_metrics()
+        # should be 3 metrics, one from the observable gauge and one for each labelset from the counter
+        self.assertEqual(len(metrics), 3)