The Year 4 multiplication tables check: a parent's guide

Every Year 4 child in England takes the multiplication tables check (often called the MTC). It's a short online test of times tables up to 12 × 12. There's no pass mark, and results aren't published school by school, but it's a useful milestone. Quick recall of times tables makes almost every later maths topic easier.

When is it?

Schools give the check during a two-week window in June. In 2027 the window starts on Monday 7 June 2027, according to the government's primary assessments future dates page. Your child's school picks the day.

What happens in the check?

• It's done on a computer or tablet at school, and takes about five minutes.
• There are 25 questions, and children have 6 seconds to answer each one.
• They start with three practice questions that don't count.
• Questions cover the 2 to 12 times tables. The 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables come up more often, because they're the hardest to recall.
• Children type the answer. They don't need to show working.

Six seconds isn't long enough to count up in steps. The check is really about instant recall: knowing that 7 × 8 = 56 straight away.

How to help at home

1. Little and often. Five minutes a day beats an hour at the weekend.
2. Learn facts in pairs. If you know 7 × 8, you also know 8 × 7. That halves the number of facts to learn.
3. Use patterns. The 9s have a finger trick, the 4s are double the 2s, and the 8s are double the 4s.
4. Target the tricky ones. Most children know their 2s, 5s and 10s. Spend time on the facts your child hesitates over.
5. Practise against the clock, gently. Timed practice helps, as long as it stays a game and doesn't become a source of worry.

How Leverrs helps

Leverrs Academy has a times tables check in the Year 4 format: 25 questions, 6 seconds each. Your child can try to beat their best score, and the game world turns practice into something they want to come back to. Open the Academy.