Multiplication tables are the foundation of mental math. Once they are automatic, they unlock fractions, percentages, algebra and every operation in secondary school. The method to learn them has been known for a long time : spaced repetition, ten minutes a day, two to three weeks per table.
2 times table
Year 1 → 2 (Grade 1) · easy
3 times table
Year 2 → 3 (Grade 2) · easy
4 times table
Year 2 → 3 (Grade 2) · easy
5 times table
Year 1 → 2 (Grade 1) · easy
6 times table
Year 3 → 4 (Grade 3) · medium
7 times table
Year 4 (Grade 3-4) · hard
8 times table
Year 4 (Grade 3-4) · hard
9 times table
Year 4 (Grade 3-4) · medium
10 times table
Year 1 → 2 (Grade 1) · easy
11 times table
Year 4 → 5 (Grade 4) · easy
12 times table
Year 4 → 5 (Grade 4) · medium
The recommended order to learn the tables
The tables are not all equally hard. The order below matches what is taught in most schools, from easiest to hardest :
- Year 1-2 (Grade 1) : the 2, 5 and 10 times tables (the easiest, obvious visual patterns)
- Year 2-3 (Grade 2) : the 3 and 4 times tables
- Year 3-4 (Grade 3) : the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables (the hardest, no obvious pattern)
- Year 4-5 (Grade 4) : the 11 and 12 times tables (part of the UK National Curriculum and the Year 4 check)
Frequently asked questions
In what order should you learn the times tables?
The recommended order is : 2, 5, 10 in Year 1-2 ; 3 and 4 in Year 2-3 ; 6, 7, 8, 9 in Year 3-4 ; 11 and 12 in Year 4-5. It follows increasing difficulty : the tables with visual patterns (2, 5, 10) come first, the harder ones (6, 7, 8) later.
How long does it take to learn a table?
With a spaced-repetition protocol and ten minutes a day, most pupils make a table automatic in two to three weeks. The easy tables (2, 5, 10) take less than a week. The hard ones (7, 8) can take a month.
Do you need to learn up to the 12 times table?
In the UK, the National Curriculum and the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check go up to 12. In the US, the 11 and 12 are often taught beyond the core grades because they are useful in daily life (dozens, months, hours).