British adults’ maths blindspot revealed

New research by Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) has revealed that millions of Britons failed to successfully identify basic GCSE level maths symbols such as less than, square root, pi and infinity.  

Almost two-fifths (41%) of British adults cannot correctly identify the infinity symbol (∞). More than a third (36%) struggled to recognise the square root symbol (√), and 34% couldn’t name the less than sign (<).

Less often used signs such as greater than or equal to (≥) went unidentified by 64%, while more than three-quarters (78%) couldn’t name approximately equal to (≈), and is similar to (~) proved the most difficult for 95% of respondents. 

Just 40 (2%) of the 2,000 British adults surveyed by AAT could name all ten GCSE level mathematical symbols, with men outperforming their female counterparts, getting 65% of their answers correct versus 61%. However, AAT reports that two-thirds of its members and students are currently female, showing interest in the subject is open to all.

The East of England was the top-performing region in the UK, scoring correctly 64.8% of the time, followed by London (64.5%) and the East Midlands (64.3%). Wales was the worst performing region scoring 58.6%, almost 5% below the national average of 62.8% and 6.2% below the top performing region.

Rachel Staples, Head of Qualifications and Product Development at AAT, said, “Maths can be a polarising topic with many people believing they aren’t good at it, however, that shouldn’t be the case. While we’ve looked into the knowledge of the nation in regards to common GCSE mathematical symbols, the truth is they aren’t used as frequently in later life or indicative of overall professional success.”

However, it is not just the average Briton that struggles with symbols they might not have seen since they were last in a classroom. More than a quarter (27%) of teachers could not identify the symbol for square root, and almost one in six (17%) couldn’t identify pi when quizzed.

Healthcare professionals – such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists – also provided mixed responses performing worse overall than educators, with 35% being unable able to identify the symbol for square root, and 21% unable to name pi, the mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.  

While financial and business services professionals such as payroll, accounting and administration executives were the seventh-best performing profession, AAT reports that other skills are just as important for a successful career in accountancy. 

Rachel Staples continued: “Accountancy is for people with a broad skillset – you don’t need a degree in applied mathematics to succeed. Whilst an interest in numbers helps, skills such as attention to detail, a keen interest in the mechanics of business and softer communications skills will put someone in good stead if they are thinking of pursuing a career in finance.

“Increasingly, we’re seeing the remit of accounting professionals shift beyond just crunching numbers into more of a mini business consultant role, helping people at all levels of an organisation make important staffing, procurement and business decisions. This includes interpreting data for clients and providing invaluable advice and expertise – which is critically important as businesses continue to weather the fallout from the pandemic – so they really are more than the sum of their parts. Accountancy is, therefore, a career open to anyone regardless of age, background or experience, not just those that are a whizz at maths.”

Interestingly, almost one in three (29%) of Britons identified the correct symbol for Pi – π – however, opted for the savoury spelling, pie, demonstrating their eye for detail could be improved.

Rachel Staples added:

“At this stage of the year when many people are thinking about career decisions or changing roles, we strongly encourage people to explore accountancy and the range of AAT qualifications available. Regardless of education level, an AAT qualification allows flexible study options and can help build the solid foundations of a successful career in business and finance.”

Find out more about AAT qualifications and a career in finance.

Full research breakdowns

Top performing regions of the UK

Top performing professions