All primary school-aged children are expected to know their times tables up to 12 x 12 by heart. In fact, they are expected to have mastered their times tables by the end of Year 4.

The 2026 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) for Year 4 pupils in England will be administered over a 2 week period from Monday 1st June 2026, to Friday, 12th June 2026.

What can you do to help your child practice?

We would recommend a number of strategies to support your child in the run-up to and after the times tables test including:

• Times tables chanting: “6, 12, 18, 24…”;
• Times tables chanting in reverse order: “108, 99, 90, 81…”;
• Using times tables songs
• Using Times Table Rock Stars
• Asking your child multiplication calculations out of order, like: “What is 4 x 7? What is 9 x 5? What is 6 x 11?”;
• Using pasta pieces or pebbles to show groups of numbers representing times tables, e.g. four groups of three pasta shells to show 3 x 4 = 12