diff --git a/src/it/java/teammates/it/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbIT.java b/src/it/java/teammates/it/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbIT.java
index e989d6fb3cb..070d577144b 100644
--- a/src/it/java/teammates/it/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbIT.java
+++ b/src/it/java/teammates/it/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbIT.java
@@ -107,8 +107,7 @@ public void testUpdateAccountRequest() throws Exception {
         accountRequest.setName("new account request name");
 
         accountRequestDb.updateAccountRequest(accountRequest);
-        AccountRequest actual = accountRequestDb.getAccountRequest(
-                accountRequest.getEmail(), accountRequest.getInstitute());
+        AccountRequest actual = accountRequestDb.getAccountRequest(accountRequest.getId());
         verifyEquals(accountRequest, actual);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDb.java b/src/main/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDb.java
index 6d9f7312fe4..f95f93bc7d9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDb.java
+++ b/src/main/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDb.java
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ public AccountRequest updateAccountRequest(AccountRequest accountRequest)
             throw new InvalidParametersException(accountRequest.getInvalidityInfo());
         }
 
-        if (getAccountRequest(accountRequest.getEmail(), accountRequest.getInstitute()) == null) {
+        if (getAccountRequest(accountRequest.getId()) == null) {
             throw new EntityDoesNotExistException(
                 String.format(ERROR_UPDATE_NON_EXISTENT, accountRequest.toString()));
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbTest.java b/src/test/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbTest.java
index 31f6cf77873..f9e71d2f1c8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/teammates/storage/sqlapi/AccountRequestsDbTest.java
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public void testUpdateAccountRequest_invalidEmail_throwsInvalidParametersExcepti
     public void testUpdateAccountRequest_accountRequestDoesNotExist_throwsEntityDoesNotExistException() {
         AccountRequest accountRequest =
                 new AccountRequest("test@gmail.com", "name", "institute", AccountRequestStatus.PENDING, "comments");
-        doReturn(null).when(accountRequestDb).getAccountRequest(anyString(), anyString());
+        doReturn(null).when(accountRequestDb).getAccountRequest(accountRequest.getId());
 
         assertThrows(EntityDoesNotExistException.class,
                 () -> accountRequestDb.updateAccountRequest(accountRequest));
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public void testUpdateAccountRequest_accountRequestDoesNotExist_throwsEntityDoes
     public void testUpdateAccountRequest_success() throws InvalidParametersException, EntityDoesNotExistException {
         AccountRequest accountRequest =
                 new AccountRequest("test@gmail.com", "name", "institute", AccountRequestStatus.PENDING, "comments");
-        doReturn(accountRequest).when(accountRequestDb).getAccountRequest(anyString(), anyString());
+        doReturn(accountRequest).when(accountRequestDb).getAccountRequest(accountRequest.getId());
 
         accountRequestDb.updateAccountRequest(accountRequest);