Published 30 June 2026 6:38pm BST The Treasury has removed a numeracy test from its graduate scheme to boost diversity. The government department quietly scrapped the numerical reasoning test from its application process in 2020 owing “to evidence of the test having an adverse impact on candidate diversity”. The measure, uncovered by the Spectator magazine, has been described as “insane” and “through the looking glass” by critics. In Freedom of Information requests obtained by the magazine, it reported that the Treasury conducted a review of its policy adviser graduate programme in 2019 over concerns the scheme was not diverse enough. The review recommended removing the numeracy test. The measure subsequently increased the diversity of candidates who passed the application process in 2020. Minutes from an internal governance board meeting at the time explained the test was taken out to remove a “hurdle” for candidates and to ensure “more diverse ethnicity (candidates) at assessment centres”. It added that “having two tests creates an additional ‘hurdle’ for candidates to jump over and another opportunity for candidates to be sifted out of the process”. At the same time the Treasury altered its assessment process by increasing the number of candidates who passed its situational judgment test “to maximise the number of diverse candidates in our process”. ‘Restore meritocracy’ Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s economic spokesman, told The Telegraph: “If people can’t add up, they shouldn’t be in the Treasury. “We need the best people, regardless of their background. As chancellor I will end this nonsense and restore meritocracy to appointments.” Jack Rankin, the Conservative MP for Windsor, added: “Truly through the looking glass stuff, the public sector is so sick. “They’ve sat around and decided, without dissent, that ethnicity is more important than numeracy in appointments to the Treasury. We must change this thinking – top to bottom.” In a post on X, Dr Zubir Ahmed, who is reportedly being considered by Andy Burnham to become his health secretary, said: “I’m sorry, but this is insane and helps no one.” Attempts to engineer the level of diversity on the policy graduate programme, which has a starting salary of up to £40,000 per year, have continued in recent years. In 2024, the Treasury removed its verbal reasoning test after a previous report by Rare, an ethnic diversity recruitment firm, found that “their candidates tend to struggle with verbal testing in particular”. The test was replaced with the Civil Service Strengths test which includes questions such as “I find it frustrating when others don’t understand my ideas” and asks candidates to rate their level of agreement from “very strongly agree” to “very strongly disagree”. They are then presented with workplace scenarios and told to rank the effectiveness of the responses shown. The Treasury was approached for comment by The Telegraph.