What is the Multiplication Tables Check?

The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is statutory for primary schools in the 2023/24 academic year. Queen Eleanor’s will have a 3-week check window in June to administer the MTC. Teachers will have the flexibility to administer the check to individual pupils, small groups or a whole class at the same time.

The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help schools to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided.

The MTC is an online test where the pupils are asked 25 questions on times tables 2 to 12. For every question you have 6 seconds to answer and in between the questions there is a 3 second rest. Questions about the 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 times tables come up more often. The questions are generated randomly based on the rules of the MTC.

If you would like to know more, click here for the Department for Education's information for parents.

How to prepare

A good way to prepare is start early and build a daily routine practising the times tables. With regular practise you will learn all the questions and gain confidence. This may just be regularly asking them the odd times table question to check their understanding or, as mentioned earlier, research has shown that digital resources have been shown to be effective in helping pupils practise times tables. At the bottom of the page, there are some links to a range of online games/activities your child could try as well as Times Tables Rock Stars.

If you would like to familiarise your Year 4 child with how the MTC will work, this link will take to a website that has a trial run to help the children become more comfortable with the format used. https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/

If you would like to know more, at the bottom of the page is a copy of the information for parents published by the British Government.

Results from the 2023 Multiplication Check

When Year 4 have completed the test, the children are given a raw score out of 25. There is no pass mark. Below is a table showing our results from 2023. All children that scored 10 or less are put in a daily intervention group to improve their times table recall in Year 5.

Score	Frequency	Percentage
20 – 25	35	41%
15  -19	18	21%
10 – 14	22	26%
5 – 9	8	9%
1 – 4	3	3%

Results from the 2022 Multiplication Check

Score	Frequency	Percentage
20 – 25	46	41.4%
15  -19	24	21.6%
10 – 14	13	11.7%
5 – 9	6	5.4%
1 – 4	1	0.9%