Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Checks 2025: all you need to know

In this blog, we take a close look at what the Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check means for primary teachers and provide some valuable insights to help you prepare your pupils for the tests to come.

What is the Multiplication Times Table Check?

The Multiplication Times Table Check (MTC) is a statutory test for all Year 4 pupils in England. The purpose of the Multiplication Times Table Check is to determine whether pupils can fluently recall their times tables up to 12.

Pupils are tested on their ability to answer 25 multiplication questions online. They have six seconds to answer each question, and schools are given a two-week window to ‘check’ all eligible children in the year group.

When is the Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check 2025?

This year, the multiplication times table checks will be undertaken by all eligible year 4 pupils within the 2-week period from Monday 2 June 2025.

More information on the multiplication times tables check can be found at the gov.uk website.

How will the Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check be used?

The data from the times tables checks is:

• used by schools to “provide additional support to pupils who require it.”

• available to Ofsted via the Analyse School Performance (ASP) data system.

• reported on by the Department for Education (DfE) to track standards over time.

• used by the DfE to provide schools with the ability to benchmark the performance of their pupils.

What is the ‘pass mark’ for the Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check?

Perhaps reassuringly, there is no official ‘pass mark’ for the Multiplication Times Table Check. Even better, the data isn’t published in performance tables. It’s all a simple way for schools and other educational authorities to see how pupils are doing within this key area of maths so that ‘additional support can be provided’.

This all makes great sense. However, there is a small caveat: school-level results are available to “selected users including Ofsted” for standards benchmarking. Results are also published at national and local authority level. Which all means that there is inevitably still pressure on schools, teachers and ultimately pupils to make sure that a school’s results are in line with (or better than) local and national averages.

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10 revision tips ahead of the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Checks

How did Year 4 pupils perform nationally on the 2023 Multiplication Times Table Check?

According to the DfE, 29% of all pupils scored 25, with 25 also being the most common score. This is an increase of 2% on the previous year. The mean score was 20.2 out of 25. If you haven't seen the published national data, you can explore it in full here.

How well are current Year 4 pupils doing ahead of the Multiplication Times Table Check?

The team here at Learning by Questions have analysed the most recent data from Y4 pupils who have used our MTC-style Question Sets to give you some fascinating insights into how pupils are doing in preparation for this year’s online test check.

NB: A small disclaimer: It’s important to note that the time allowed to complete these Question Sets on LbQ may have been longer than the 6 seconds per question that pupils will be allowed during the actual MTC. This would have depended on the decision making of the individual teachers.

What is a good score on the Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check?

The median score from the analysis was 23 out of 25, whilst the most common score was 25/25 – achieved by 25.4% of pupils.

However, the mean score was lower at 19.62/25. It was apparent that a significant number of pupils were scoring very low marks, which brought the mean down substantially.

Which multiplication times tables questions did Year 4 pupils struggle the most with?

The following table shows the top 10 multiplication facts that pupils are currently struggling the most with. Importantly, many of these are the facts that are also more likely to appear due to the test parameters.

As a result of this analysis, the team at Learning by Questions have compiled a unique online Question Set to really focus on the questions which are most likely to need extra practice: ‘Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check: Most Challenging Times Tables Facts’.

LbQ’s Year 4 Multiplication Times Table Check resources can help your pupils get used to the format of the checks themselves. You can use them to:

• Practise using an online platform: The Multiplication Times Table Checks 'will be delivered on-screen (using a computer or tablet) and online (using an internet connection).' LbQ's Multiplication Table Check resources can give you and your pupils the experience of testing digitally, whilst gaining immediate information into your pupils' strengths and weaknesses.

• Time your pupils: LbQ resources allow you to limit the time that students have to complete a particular set of questions, which means that you can assess the pace at which your pupils are able to answer times tables. As pupil progression increases, teachers can reduce the time allowed for completion to try and replicate the pace required for the actual Multiplication Times Table Checks.

You can also help boost your pupils' conceptual understanding using any of our practice times tables resources, which include pictorial representations in level 1.

Access a library of Multiplication Tables Check resources alongside a wealth of KS2 mastery and practice materials, absolutely free, with a no-obligation LbQ trial.