The UK Treasury has removed a numeracy test from its graduate recruitment scheme to increase diversity among new hires [1].
The move signals a shift in how the government department evaluates technical competency against diversity goals. By removing the mathematics requirement, the Treasury aims to broaden the pool of candidates eligible for entry-level roles within the civil service [2].
Officials said the test had an adverse effect on candidates from ethnic-minority backgrounds [2]. The decision followed a review of the graduate recruitment campaign from 2019 [3]. The Treasury said the removal of the test is intended to boost diversity hires [2].
Critics of the policy argue that basic mathematical proficiency is essential for a department responsible for managing national finances. Former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint said the decision was problematic during a broadcast on Sky News Australia.
"If you’re not going to require people who work for the Treasury, who are paid by taxpayers, to have basic numerical skills, then we might as well all pack up and go home," Flint said. "It’s just outrageous."
The Treasury headquarters in London oversees the UK's economic policy and public spending. The department has not specified which alternative metrics will replace the numeracy test to ensure candidates possess the necessary skills for financial analysis [2].
“The Treasury scrapped a numeracy test from its graduate recruitment scheme to increase diversity.”
This policy change reflects a broader tension within public sector hiring between standardized technical testing and equity-based recruitment. By prioritizing the removal of barriers for minority candidates, the Treasury is testing whether diversity in perspective can outweigh traditional quantitative screening at the entry level.
