The multiplication tables check: what parents need to know

What the check is

The multiplication tables check is a statutory test that schools in England give to eligible children in Year 4. It has been compulsory for schools since 2022. It is done on a screen at school and takes about five minutes.

Schools run it in a three-week window in June. In 2026 the window ran from 1 to 19 June. It checks whether children can recall their times tables up to 12 × 12 quickly, and it helps the school see who may need more support.

How it works

• There are 25 questions, and children can try 3 practice questions first.
• Each question has 6 seconds, and there is a 3-second pause before the next one starts by itself. Schools can switch on a “Next” button for a pupil who would be put at a disadvantage by the pace.
• The questions come from the 2 to 12 times tables, with an emphasis on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables, which the check’s designers found the hardest.
• Each child gets a score out of 25. Your child’s teacher will share it with you.
• Schools can use access arrangements to support children with particular needs. Your child’s teacher will decide what is right for them before the check.

What scores look like

Most children do well. In the Department for Education’s figures for 2025, the national average score was 21.0 out of 25, and 37% of eligible children scored full marks. The average has risen every year since 2022, when it was 19.8.

A score below that is not a failure. The check is there to help schools spot children who still need to practise their tables, so the sooner you know, the more time there is to help.

Getting ready, year by year

• Year 2 and Year 3: learn the 2, 5 and 10 tables, then the 3, 4 and 8, as the curriculum goes. See our guide to which tables each year learns.
• Autumn of Year 4: learn the 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 tables, taking them one at a time.
• Spring of Year 4: mix the tables up and build speed, a few minutes at a time.
• The weeks before the check: short rounds with a timer, and extra time on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables. Keep it light and stop while it is still going well.

How to practise at home

• Little and often. Five minutes a day beats a long session at the weekend.
• Practise against a timer. The real check allows 6 seconds, so children should get used to answering without long pauses.
• Type the answers if you can, because the check is done on a screen.
• Use what is already known. The 6 times table is the 5 times table plus one more group, and 9 × 7 is 10 × 7 take away one 7.
• Praise effort and improvement. Children who feel calm answer faster than children who feel tested.

If your child finds it hard

Talk to their teacher early. They can tell you which tables are the problem and what the school is already doing. A few pupils, such as those working below the Year 2 expectation for the tables, are not expected to take the check at all, and teachers decide this with the school.

Practise with Oakling Primary Scholars

Primary Scholars has a times tables check practice round in the same shape: 25 questions, 6 seconds each, on the 2 to 12 tables, with the harder tables coming up more often. If time runs out, whatever the child has typed is used. It is practice only; it is not the official check and does not use the official questions.

When do children take the multiplication tables check?

In June of Year 4. Schools run it during a three-week window set by the Department for Education, and each child takes about five minutes.

Is there a pass mark?

Each child gets a score out of 25. The check is used to show which children need more help with their tables, rather than to pass or fail them.

Which times tables are on the check?

The 2 to 12 times tables, with an emphasis on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables.

How will I find out my child’s score?

Your child’s teacher will share it with you. Schools can see their results soon after the check window closes.

Can my child practise the real check at home?

No, the official check is only run by schools. You can practise the same skill with a timer, using 25 questions and 6 seconds each, which is what the practice round in Primary Scholars does.