The UK's Treasury has eliminated its mathematical reasoning exam for graduate recruits, a move aimed at broadening the diversity of its hires. This decision, implemented in 2019, followed a finding that the test had an "adverse impact" on candidates from a wider range of backgrounds.
According to board minutes from the Treasury, the department sought to increase ethnic diversity at assessment centers. It was determined that having two separate tests – the mathematical reasoning exam and a verbal reasoning assessment – created additional hurdles for applicants, increasing the likelihood of them being filtered out of the process. The Treasury reported that subsequently, "levels of adverse impact decreased in the 2020 campaign."
In 2024, the verbal reasoning test was also removed. This change came after an ethnic diversity recruitment specialist advised that candidates "tend to struggle" with that particular assessment. The verbal reasoning test was replaced by the "Civil Service Strengths Test," which asks candidates to respond to statements such as "I prefer not to have to concentrate on one thing for too long" or "it is important for me to exceed expectations when I am given a task to do."
The decision has drawn criticism from some political figures. Conservative MP Jack Rankin stated that the move represented "ideological nonsense" and suggested that under current leadership, "genuine meritocracy" would be restored. Lord Frost, a Conservative peer, commented that such changes were unsurprising in the Civil Service in recent years, with many departments implementing similar measures.
Robert Jenrick, Reform's economics spokesman, voiced his disapproval by stating, "If people can't add up, they shouldn't be in the Treasury." A Treasury spokesperson refuted these criticisms, calling suggestions that hiring standards were lowered for diversity's sake "complete nonsense."