Numeracy tests not needed for Treasury Employees

[MsGreying]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/06/30/treasury-ditched-numeracy-test-to-increase-diversity-hires/

Department removed its mathematical assessment in 2020 to remove a ‘hurdle’ for candidates from ethnic minorities

AIBU to think this is bonkers.
Meritocracy has a very valid place in government.

To work for the treasurer there will be minimum educational standards

This test will simple have been another layer of admin burden so I’m pleased it’s been removed

An article from the Torygraph attacking things in place to help minorities?

Do you not see that they are pushing their agenda?

It's not the only test required to get a job there though. And even that article points out the issue if having two tests makes it difficult people simply to find the time to apply. And just because you're working for Treasury doesn't mean you're going to be doing a mathematical job.

It's just the usual anti-woke rhetoric from the Telegraph and not in any way related to facts.

Can't read it but you can't possibly think Joe Public is being recruited into too jobs and directly making treasury policy without that advice going through several layers of beaurocracy, including legal checks, economists etc?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-professions/government-professions

Seriously you think that questioning the removal of a numeracy test for a job at HM Treasury, in some way makes you a reform voter?

How about removing physical fitness as a requirement to play for the England football team. After all it would be more inclusive to have unfit or overweight players as well.

The "be kind" message has become simply insane.

Added to which, this is in relation to a graduate training scheme so they’ll all be grads anyway

I think this is incredibly incredibly stupid. But at least they've removed the test for everyone.

It was removed in 2019 (so 7 years ago) for their graduate recruitment wasn’t it? So applicants would be graduates in any case, and presumably by default have attained a level of maths and English. It’s also extremely competitive, every year attracting graduates from Oxbridge and top level universities and roles are policy based. For an economic or statistical role you’d need an economics or maths degree as a minimum (at least a 2i). Why has this surfaced now I wonder?

That's the most inane comparison I've ever seen. Well done you.

How about removing physical fitness as a requirement to play for the England football team. After all it would be more inclusive to have unfit or overweight players as well

No. It's the equivalent of removing a physical fitness test for working for the FA. Only certain jobs within will require fitness. But jobs such as say graphic design, cleaning or pitch maintenance won't. So why make candidates go through a test for a skill they will never need?

They removed it simply because ethnic minorities weren't passing it in high rates.

So the uncomfortable truth is: some candidates were probably failing because they were weaker at the kind of numerical reasoning being tested.

I very much doubt the England football team has a physical fitness test @1dayatatime 😂

Don’t be daft

So under a Conservative administration then? Can’t really blame Labour then…

Oh where’s there’s a will (and ignorance) there’s a way

Do you not want policy advisors in HMT to be good at maths?

The public sector is full of bullshit like this. Hiring is often based on competency tick boxes not actual ability or experience. It's bullshit.

They will be good at maths. Most of them have a PPE degree from oxbridge or similar.

This is a very high end graduate training scheme… trust me, they will all be pretty damn good at maths

We are Indian, my DS has an economics degree. He can and has passed numerical assessments for various roles. They want to be able to see you analyse and interpret data in a real world context.

He's an LSE economics graduate

The most sensible post I have read on a while

If they removed the test because they found it wasn't a useful way to find the best candidates or because not all jobs required numeracy (really?!), that would be fine. But they removed it because not enough ethnic minority candidates were passing, which is worrying.

Exactly.

If this was the reason, then removing it would simply be an evolution of their hiring practice and nothing to do with diversity. But they explicitly said they removed it to increase diversity, not because it wasn't required for the job.