The multiplication tables check is a short on-screen test that every Year 4 pupil in England takes in June: 25 questions, six seconds each, on the tables from 2 to 12. There is no pass mark. Schools use the scores to see which pupils need more support, and the Department for Education publishes the national results each year.
It is still worth understanding, because six seconds leaves no time to work an answer out. The check measures instant recall, and recall is exactly what can be trained at home in a few minutes a day. This guide covers what the check asks, which tables weigh the most, what the national results say, and a calm four-week plan for the spring.
What the Year 4 multiplication check looks like
The check has been statutory since the 2021/22 school year for Year 4 pupils in maintained schools, special schools and academies in England, after two voluntary rounds. Schools pick any day within a three-week window in June. Each pupil takes it on a computer or a tablet, and calculators and wall displays that show the tables are removed from the room.
Every question has the same form, a multiplication such as 7 × 8, and the six seconds start the moment it appears on screen. The answer is typed on the keyboard or tapped on an on-screen number pad, then the pupil presses enter or lets the time run out. A pause of three seconds follows before the next question. Three practice questions come first, so nobody meets the format cold, and the whole check takes no more than five minutes.
The six seconds were not picked at random. The Standards and Testing Agency trialled three time limits with 1,124 pupils and kept the one that leaves enough time to recall and type an answer, and too little to work it out. Its assessment framework for the check sets out the rules summed up below.
| Feature | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Who takes it | Year 4 pupils in England |
| When | A three-week window in June, on a day the school chooses |
| Questions | 25, one mark each, in no order of difficulty |
| Time per question | 6 seconds, from the moment the question appears |
| Pause between questions | 3 seconds |
| Tables covered | 2 to 12; the 1 times table only in practice questions |
| How to answer | Keyboard, mouse or touchscreen, with an on-screen number pad |
| Pass mark | None; each pupil gets a score out of 25 |
Which times tables the multiplication check leans on
All 121 facts from 2 × 2 to 12 × 12 can come up, but not in equal measure. The framework caps how many questions each table can get in a single check, and it gives more room to the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, which it describes as the most difficult. Each of those five gets between two and four questions, so between 10 and 20 of the 25 questions come from them.
The easier tables are there for breadth. The 2, 5 and 10 times tables, taught in Key Stage 1, supply only three to seven questions per check between them. A question and its reverse, such as 3 × 8 and 8 × 3, never appear in the same check.
| Times tables | Questions per check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 | 2 to 4 each | The hardest tables, given the most weight |
| 3, 4, 5 and 11 | 1 to 3 each | Core tables with a lighter weight |
| 2 and 10 | 0 to 2 each | Taught in Key Stage 1, kept to a minimum |
| 1 | None | Only used in practice questions |
In practice, the 7 times table and the 8 times table deserve the most attention, together with the 6, the 9 and the 12. If your child already knows the 2, 5 and 10 by heart, extra time spent there is time taken from the facts that carry most of the score.
What the national multiplication check results show
About 96% of eligible pupils take the check each year, and the national average has gone up every year since it became statutory. The Department for Education's attainment statistics for 2024/25 give an average of 21.0 out of 25 in June 2025, up from 20.6 in 2024, 20.2 in 2023 and 19.8 in 2022.
In 2025, full marks were the most common score: 37% of pupils scored 25, against 34% in 2024, 29% in 2023 and 27% in 2022. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and the others narrowed slightly, from 2.5 to 2.4 points, with averages of 19.3 and 21.7.
Read the other way, the average pupil still misses four questions out of 25, either with a wrong answer or because six seconds ran out. That is the real target of preparation: faster recall of the few facts that are still slow. Results for individual schools are not published in performance tables; each school receives its own pupils' scores at the end of the window.
A four-week practice plan for the multiplication check at home
The official leaflet for parents says you do not need to do anything extra to prepare your child, and if the tables are already instant, that holds. If some facts still need counting on fingers, a few minutes a day from April works better than a long session the week before. Here is a plan that fits into ten minutes a day.
- Week 1, find the slow facts. Go through the times tables from 2 to 12 in mixed order and write down every fact that takes more than about three seconds. That list is your plan for the month.
- Week 2, the five heavy tables. Start with the slow facts from the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, five new facts a day, always said aloud with the answer: seven eights are fifty-six.
- Week 3, mix and reverse. Ask the facts out of order and in both directions, 8 × 7 as well as 7 × 8, and bring back yesterday's mistakes before any new fact.
- Week 4, the real pace. Twice a week, run 25 mixed questions with a six-second timer, then stop. Keep the missed facts for the next day, and again three or four days later.
Three habits make the plan work. Short sessions beat long ones, because recall improves when practice is spread over several days. Mistakes come back first, the next day and a few days after, which is the principle of spaced repetition. And speed comes last: a fact is known when the answer arrives before the thinking starts, which is why the timer only appears in week 4.
On the day of the times tables check
Nothing special is needed on the day. The school sets up the devices, and your child answers the three practice questions before the 25 that count. If a pupil has to restart the check, the system gives a different set of questions. Pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language can have access arrangements, and schools can try them out in advance from April.
Afterwards, the teacher shares the score out of 25 with you. If it is lower than you hoped, go back to the week 1 method and find the slow facts: that list tells you more than the number itself, and it is short work once you know which facts to practise.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a pass mark for the Year 4 times tables check?
No. There is no pass mark and no expected standard. Each pupil gets a score out of 25, which the school shares with parents and uses to see who needs extra support.
How long does the Year 4 multiplication check take?
No more than about five minutes. Each of the 25 questions allows six seconds, followed by a three-second pause, and three practice questions come first.
Which times tables come up most in the multiplication check?
The 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, with two to four questions each. The 3, 4, 5 and 11 get one to three questions, the 2 and 10 up to two, and the 1 times table appears only in practice questions.
Do schools publish their times tables check results?
No. School-level results are not published in performance tables. The Department for Education publishes national results: the average score was 21.0 out of 25 in 2025, and 37% of pupils scored full marks.
Can my child practise on the official times tables check at home?
The official try it out area is for schools, which can open it from April. At home, a list of mixed facts from the 2 to 12 times tables and a six-second timer reproduce the pace of the check closely enough.
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