Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) Practice
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is the on-screen times tables check that every Year 4 child in England takes in June. It is 25 questions from the 2 to 12 times tables, with 6 seconds to answer each one. KidsDoMath lets your child practise the same facts, free and with no sign-up, so the real thing feels familiar.
There is no pass mark — the MTC is there to show which tables are secure and which need more work. The best preparation is relaxed, regular practice of the facts, not cramming against a clock.
How the real check works
In the MTC, a child answers 25 multiplication questions one at a time. Each question appears with a 6-second timer; if they do not answer in time it moves on, with a short 3-second gap before the next one. The whole check takes about five minutes, and every question is a straight recall fact like 7 × 8 or 12 × 6 — no word problems, no working out on paper.
Because the questions come fast, the check rewards instant recall rather than careful calculation. That is why the goal of practice is to make the harder facts automatic, so a child is not counting up under the clock.
Focus on the tables that come up most
The 2, 5 and 10 times tables are usually secure by Year 4, so the check leans on the harder ones. Give the most practice to the 6 times table, 7 times table, 8 times table, 9 times table and 12 times table. Build fluency with untimed multiplication practice or the full set of multiplication games first, then come back for a timed run once the facts feel secure.
Keep it low-pressure
A ticking clock can make some children freeze on facts they actually know. If timed practice feels stressful, drop the timer and practise untimed for a while — confidence first, speed later. See our guide to math anxiety in children for more.
Common questions
What is the Multiplication Tables Check?
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a statutory assessment in England for pupils in Year 4 (ages 8–9), taken each June. It checks whether children can recall the times tables up to 12 × 12 fluently. Children take it on-screen at school.
What is the MTC format?
The check is 25 questions drawn from the 2 to 12 times tables. Each question gives 6 seconds to answer, with a 3-second gap between questions, so the whole check takes about 5 minutes. Answers are typed on-screen.
Is there an MTC pass mark?
No. There is no official pass mark or threshold — the MTC is diagnostic. The maximum score is 25, and schools receive each child’s result to see which tables need more work. Treat a lower score as useful information about which facts to practise, not as a pass/fail grade.
Which times tables are on the MTC?
All of them from 2 to 12. In practice the check weights the harder tables more heavily — the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables come up most — because the easy ones (2, 5, 10) are usually secure by Year 4.
Is this MTC practice free?
Yes. Every practice mode on KidsDoMath is 100% free, with no ads, no in-app purchases and no sign-up required.
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