Numeracy means being able to understand and use numbers in everyday life. A numerate person can work with amounts, money, percentages, fractions, measurements, time and simple data, and can tell which calculation a situation needs. It is the number equivalent of literacy: less about advanced maths, more about applying basic arithmetic accurately to real problems.
Because almost every job involves some numeracy, many employers test it before interview. If you want to see what a workplace numeracy question looks like, try a free numerical reasoning test, which uses the tables and charts you would meet at work.
What does numeracy mean?
The word was formed from “numerate” in the same way “literacy” comes from “literate”. It came into use in the UK through a 1959 report on education in England, which described being numerate as the mirror image of being literate.
Today numeracy usually covers five things:
- Number sense. Knowing roughly how big a number is, understanding place value and being able to estimate.
- Calculation. Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, and working with percentages, fractions, decimals and ratios.
- Measurement. Using units of length, weight, volume, time and money, and converting between them.
- Data. Reading tables, charts and graphs, and working out simple averages.
- Problem solving. Choosing the right method for a real situation and checking whether the answer makes sense.
The last point is what separates numeracy from simply knowing your times tables. A numerate person can look at a problem written in words, decide what it is really asking and then use the right arithmetic.
Numeracy examples in everyday life and at work
Most numeracy happens without anyone calling it maths:
- Checking that a payslip shows the right hours at the right rate.
- Working out which pack size is cheaper per 100g.
- Splitting a restaurant bill fairly between friends.
- Reading a train timetable and working out how long the journey takes.
- Scaling a recipe from four servings to six.
At work, numeracy looks like keeping track of stock levels, planning a budget, building a staff rota, reading a sales chart or spotting that a figure in a report cannot be right. There is a longer list, grouped by skill, in our guide to what numeracy skills are.
What does innumeracy mean?
Innumeracy means lacking basic numeracy: not being able to use numbers confidently enough to handle everyday situations. It is the number equivalent of illiteracy.
It often shows up in small ways. Someone who is innumerate might struggle to compare two prices, find a discount confusing or be misled by a statistic in the news. A classic example is assuming that a 50% rise followed by a 50% fall takes you back to where you started. It does not. A price of £100 rises to £150, and 50% off £150 is £75, so you end up 25% below the start.
Innumeracy is not a fixed trait. Most adults who feel weak with numbers have simply not practised for a long time, and the core skills come back quickly with regular use.
Is numeracy the same as maths?
Not quite. Maths is the wider subject, and it includes abstract topics such as algebra, geometry and proof. Numeracy is the practical part: using number in real contexts to make decisions. You can be strongly numerate without having studied much maths beyond school, and you can pass a maths exam and still find it hard to use numbers in daily life. Our guide to the difference between maths and numeracy explains the distinction in more detail.
Numeracy tests and numerical reasoning tests
Employers use two kinds of test to check numeracy, and the difference decides what you should practise.
A numeracy test asks you to carry out a calculation that has already been set out for you: find 15% of a figure, convert a fraction or simplify a ratio. The questions use school arithmetic and are usually multiple choice.
A numerical reasoning test gives you a table or chart and asks you to work out which figures you need before you calculate anything. The arithmetic is often no harder, but the interpretation is. Our guide to what numerical reasoning is covers this format in depth.
Both are timed, so speed matters as much as accuracy.
Worked numeracy examples
These five questions are typical of the level you should expect.
Percentage of an amount. A department of 40 people has 35% working remotely. How many is that? 40 × 0.35 = 14 people.
Percentage decrease. A figure falls from 80 to 68. What is the percentage decrease? The fall is 80 − 68 = 12. Divide by the original figure: 12 ÷ 80 = 0.15, which is 15%. Dividing by 68 instead of 80 is the commonest error in this type of question.
Ratio. Split £350 in the ratio 3:4. Add the parts: 3 + 4 = 7. One part is £350 ÷ 7 = £50. The shares are 3 × £50 = £150 and 4 × £50 = £200, and £150 + £200 = £350, which confirms the split.
Unit conversion. A machine produces 1.5 items per second. How many is that per hour? 1.5 × 60 = 90 per minute, then 90 × 60 = 5,400 per hour. Convert one step at a time rather than in a single jump.
Mean. Five daily output figures are 12, 15, 9, 14 and 10. Add them: 60. Divide by how many there are: 60 ÷ 5 = 12.
How to improve your numeracy
- Estimate before you calculate. Knowing that the answer should be “a bit over 200” catches most slips straight away.
- Learn the easy percentages. 10% is a tenth, 5% is half of that and 1% is a hundredth. Most percentages can be built from these.
- Use real numbers. Work out unit prices when you shop and check your own bills. Numeracy improves fastest when the numbers matter to you.
- Check the answer makes sense. A share bigger than the total or a percentage over 100 where that is impossible tells you to look again.
- Practise against the clock. Untimed practice builds accuracy, but tests reward speed as well.
When you feel ready, a timed numerical reasoning practice test is the best way to see how your numeracy holds up under test conditions.