diff --git a/app/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form.rb b/app/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form.rb
index 1a812fe8c58..b0eb8f64d66 100644
--- a/app/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form.rb
+++ b/app/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def save(application_form)
     end
 
     def self.listed_ethnic_background?(group, background)
-      ETHNIC_BACKGROUNDS[group].include?(background) || OTHER_ETHNIC_BACKGROUNDS[group] == background
+      ETHNIC_BACKGROUNDS[group]&.include?(background) || OTHER_ETHNIC_BACKGROUNDS[group] == background
     end
 
   private
diff --git a/spec/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form_spec.rb b/spec/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form_spec.rb
index 2ea024381ce..928ed1d9791 100644
--- a/spec/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/forms/candidate_interface/equality_and_diversity/ethnic_background_form_spec.rb
@@ -140,4 +140,21 @@
   describe 'validations' do
     it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:ethnic_background) }
   end
+
+  describe '.listed_ethnic_background?' do
+    it 'returns true if the group and background are in the ethnic backgrounds' do
+      result = described_class.listed_ethnic_background?('Another ethnic group', 'Arab')
+      expect(result).to be_truthy
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the group and background are not the ethnic backgrounds' do
+      result = described_class.listed_ethnic_background?('Another ethnic group', 'Another ethnic group')
+      expect(result).to be_falsey
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the group does not exist' do
+      result = described_class.listed_ethnic_background?('wrong group', '')
+      expect(result).to be_falsey
+    end
+  end
 end