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The Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check: What It Tests, How It Is Scored and What 21 Out of 25 Means
The multiplication tables check is a short on-screen test that every Year 4 pupil in a state-funded school in England sits in June. It asks 25 times table questions, gives six seconds for each, and takes about five minutes. There is no pass mark, no school league table and no retake, and your child's teacher is expected to tell you the score. This page explains what the check covers, how it is weighted, what the national results look like and what, if anything, you should do at home.
The check in one table
| Feature | What happens |
|---|---|
| Who takes it | Year 4 pupils in maintained schools, academies and free schools in England |
| When | June. In 2026 the window ran from Monday 1 June to Friday 12 June, with a catch-up week from 15 to 19 June |
| Format | On screen, answers typed with a keyboard, touchscreen or mouse |
| Questions | 3 practice questions, then 25 scored questions |
| Time per question | 6 seconds, then a 3-second pause before the next one |
| Tables covered | 2 to 12 (the 1 times table only appears in practice questions) |
| Division? | No. Every question is a multiplication |
| Pass mark | None. The result is a score out of 25 |
| Who sees the score | The school and you. School-level results are not published in performance tables |
What the questions look like
Each question appears on its own, written as a plain sum such as 7 × 8, with an on-screen number pad. When the six seconds run out the system takes whatever has been typed as the answer. A child who finishes early can press Enter to move on. Children cannot go back to a question, which is deliberate: the check measures instant recall, not working out.
The Standards and Testing Agency draws each child's 25 questions from the 121 facts that make up the 2 to 12 times tables. The mix is not random. The assessment framework sets a minimum and maximum number of questions from each table, and it tilts towards the ones children find hardest.
Which tables carry the most questions
| Times table | Questions per check (min to max) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 0 to 2 |
| 3, 4, 5 | 1 to 3 each |
| 6, 7, 8, 9 | 2 to 4 each |
| 10 | 0 to 2 |
| 11 | 1 to 3 |
| 12 | 2 to 4 |
The framework says plainly that the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables get extra weight "because these have been determined to be the most difficult". If your child is secure on the 2s, 5s and 10s but hesitates on 7 × 8 or 12 × 9, that is exactly where the marks are lost, and it is where any practice time at home is best spent.
What the national results show
The Department for Education publishes national and local authority figures each November. The latest set, for the June 2025 check, was released on 20 November 2025:
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Average score (out of 25) | 20.6 | 21.0 |
| Pupils scoring full marks | 34% | 37% |
| Average, disadvantaged pupils | 18.9 | 19.3 |
| Average, other pupils | 21.3 | 21.7 |
Two points help put a child's score in context. First, 25 is the single most common score, so full marks is normal rather than exceptional. Second, the average of 21 means a typical child drops about four questions, usually on the harder tables or by running out of time. A score in the low twenties is in line with most of the country; a score well below 15 suggests some tables are not yet automatic. Around 96% of eligible pupils take the check each year. Results for the June 2026 check are due in late 2026.
Who does not take it
Most children with special educational needs or English as an additional language take the check, using access arrangements where needed: a trained adult to input answers, a removed or extended question timer for pupils who cannot use the standard one, audio versions, coloured overlays or larger fonts. The headteacher can decide a child should not take it if they are working below the Year 2 national curriculum standard for times tables, cannot answer the easiest questions even with access arrangements, or joined the school so late in the window that there is no time to find out what they can do. A child absent for the whole three weeks is recorded as absent; there is no autumn resit.
If your child has an EHC plan or receives SEN support, the school should talk to you before June about which arrangements they will use. Our SEND support guide explains how that support is set up.
Should you practise at home?
The Department's own leaflet for parents says you do not need to do anything extra to prepare, and that is true in the sense that there is nothing to revise beyond the tables themselves. In practice, a few minutes of quick-fire recall several times a week does more than any single long session. Useful habits:
- Concentrate on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, which carry the most questions.
- Practise out of order. Chanting "one seven is seven, two sevens are fourteen" builds a sequence, but the check asks 7 × 8 cold.
- Use both orders. The check might ask 8 × 7 or 7 × 8, and a child who only knows one form loses time.
- Aim for answers inside three seconds. If a fact takes counting on fingers, it will not survive the six-second timer.
- Keep it low stakes. The result has no effect on secondary school admissions or anything else in your child's record beyond the school's own tracking.
Schools can use an official "try it out" version from late April, with the same 3 practice and 25 check questions, as many times as they like. Ask whether your child has had a go, particularly if they are nervous about typing against a clock.
What happens with the score
At the end of the window the school gets a score out of 25 for each pupil, and by the end of the summer term it can view or download the full list. Your child's teacher should share the score with you, often in the end-of-year report. Schools use the results to decide who needs extra help with multiplication before Year 5 and Year 6, when the key stage 2 SATs assume these facts are automatic. Our guide to primary school SATs results covers what comes next.
The check does not feed into Ofsted grades as a published figure, and school-by-school results are not put in performance tables, so it is not something to weigh when choosing a school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a pass mark for the multiplication tables check?
No. Each pupil gets a score out of 25 and there is no expected standard. The only national benchmark reported is the share of pupils who score full marks, which was 37% in 2025.
What is a good score in the Year 4 multiplication check?
The national average in 2025 was 21.0 out of 25, and 25 was the most common single score. A score in the low twenties is typical; a score well below that usually means some of the 6, 7, 8, 9 or 12 times table facts are not yet automatic.
How long does a child get for each question?
Six seconds, followed by a three-second pause before the next question. The whole check, including three practice questions, takes about five minutes.
Are division questions included?
No. All 25 questions are multiplication facts from the 2 to 12 times tables. The 1 times table appears only in the practice questions.
Will I be told my child's result?
Yes. The school receives every pupil's score and the Department for Education's information for parents says your child's teacher will share the score with you.
Can my child resit the check?
No. There is one check window in June plus a catch-up week for pupils who were absent or whose check was delayed by technical problems. A child absent for the whole period is recorded as absent.
Sources
- Standards and Testing Agency, Multiplication tables check administration guidance (2026): dates, question format, timing and who should not take the check.
- Standards and Testing Agency, Multiplication tables check assessment framework: the 121 facts, the per-table limits and the weighting towards the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables.
- Department for Education, Multiplication tables check: information for parents: no pass mark and teachers share the score.
- Department for Education, Multiplication tables check attainment 2024/25: average scores, full marks and disadvantage gap.