The Treasury scrapped a numerical exam from its graduate scheme in a bid to improve diversity, it has emerged. In 2020, shortly after the death of George Floyd, the government department, now headed by Rachel Reeves, quietly removed the numeracy test from its application process due to suggestions it had an "adverse impact" on candidate diversity.

Whitehall also complained about “extremely high benchmarks”, which led the Treasury to drop verbal reasoning exams. The “Civil Service Strengths Test” was then implemented by bosses. It asked candidates whether they “prefer not to have to concentrate on one thing for too long”.

Fury has erupted after The Spectator obtained the documents, which have been described as “insane”.

In Freedom of Information requests obtained by the magazine, The Spectator reported that the Treasury had concluded that its policy adviser graduate programme was not diverse enough, after a review of its 2019 scheme.

The review recommended removing the numeracy test. Since the measure in 2020, the diversity of candidates who passed the application process has subsequently increased.

It has been made known via minutes of an internal governance board meeting that, at the time the test was introduced, the aim was to remove a “hurdle” for candidates and to allow “more diverse ethnicity (candidates) at assessment centres”.

It stated 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”.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s economic spokesman, said: “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.”

The Treasury said: “The Numerical Reasoning Test was removed due to evidence of the test having adverse impact on candidate diversity.

“Subsequently, the levels of adverse impact decreased in the 2020 campaign.”