Times tables test

How to use the times tables test

1. Choose a mode. MTC mode copies the format of the multiplication tables check that children in England take in Year 4. Practice mode lets your child pick any tables from 2 to 12 and answer without a time limit.
2. Press Start. Your child types each answer with the number pad on the screen or with the keyboard, then presses Enter. In MTC mode, whatever is typed when the 6 seconds run out counts as the answer, and the next question appears after a 3-second pause, as in the real check.
3. Look at the results together. You will see the score, the answering time and a list of facts to practice. The “Practice these facts” button turns that list into a short round with no time limit.
4. Come back another day. The best score for each mode is saved in this browser, so your child can try to beat it.

What is the multiplication tables check?

The multiplication tables check (MTC) is a short online check that Year 4 children in England take every June. Each child answers 25 questions from the 2 to 12 times tables, with 6 seconds to answer each one and a 3-second pause between questions. The 1 times table is not included.

The official framework also sets rules for picking the questions. Each check has a limited number of questions from every table, with an emphasis on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, which the framework describes as the most difficult. No question appears twice, and a question and its reverse (such as 3 × 8 and 8 × 3) never appear in the same check. Our MTC mode builds a new set of 25 questions every time, following these published limits.

This page is an unofficial practice tool. The real check is taken at school and uses its own questions and software.

Is there a pass mark?

No. There is no pass mark and no expected standard. Schools get a score out of 25 for each child. In 2025, the national average in England was 21.0 out of 25, and 37% of pupils got full marks.

Why only 6 seconds?

The check is about knowing facts by heart, not working them out. The official framework explains that 6 seconds gives children enough time to recall and type an answer while limiting their ability to work it out.

What about schools in the US?

US schools don’t use the MTC, but the goal is similar. The Common Core math standards, which many states use, expect children to know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers by the end of 3rd grade. That covers the tables up to 9 × 9. For this goal, use practice mode with the tables from 2 to 9.

What the test measures, and what it doesn’t

It measures quick recall. A child who knows that 7 × 8 = 56 but needs ten seconds to work it out will usually miss that question in MTC mode. Practice mode shows whether they know the fact at all.

It doesn’t measure understanding. Math is much more than memorized facts: word problems, division, knowing when to multiply. A low score means some facts are not automatic yet. It says nothing about whether your child is “good at math.”

Home results are rough. Typing on a phone can be slower than on a school tablet, and a tired or nervous child scores lower. Compare your child only with their own earlier results, and look at the trend over a few weeks rather than at one score.

Practice improves what is practiced. Regular practice usually makes the practiced facts quicker. We can’t promise a particular score, and a better score here doesn’t guarantee a better score in the real check.

Tips for practicing at home

• Keep sessions short. One MTC round takes less than four minutes. One or two rounds a day is plenty.
• Start with the easier tables. In practice mode, try 2, 5 and 10 first, then add one tricky table at a time.
• Use the missed facts list. Say each missed fact aloud together, then press “Practice these facts” once or twice.
• Look for patterns. 9 × 6 is one 6 less than 10 × 6, so it is 60 − 6 = 54. Patterns like this make facts easier to remember.
• Keep it calm. The real check has no pass mark. If timed rounds upset your child, stay with practice mode for a while.

Sources

• Standards and Testing Agency: Multiplication tables check assessment framework (PDF)
• GOV.UK: Multiplication tables check administration guidance
• Department for Education: Multiplication tables check attainment, academic year 2024/25
• Oxford Owl for Home (Oxford University Press): The Year 4 multiplication tables check
• Tes: What is the multiplication tables check?
• Tes: Year 4 pupils continue to improve in times tables check (2025)
• Learning by Questions: Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check 2026, key info and insights
• Common Core State Standards: Grade 3, Operations and Algebraic Thinking, 3.OA.C.7
• Illustrative Mathematics: tasks for standard 3.OA.C.7