Times tables to 12 × 12: what children learn
By the end of Year 4, the National Curriculum in England expects pupils to recall multiplication and division facts for all the tables up to 12 × 12. Year 4 pupils also take the statutory multiplication tables check (MTC): an on-screen check of 25 questions, with 6 seconds to answer each one.
This sprint game draws questions from every table from 2 to 12, mixing multiplication with division facts. Typing answers against the clock is good preparation for the format of the check, and the variety helps expose the facts a child does not yet know.
This topic covers the Year 4 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Number – multiplication and division): pupils should be taught to “recall multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 × 12”. Year 4 pupils are usually aged 8–9.
For families following US standards, the closest Common Core standard is 3.OA.C.7, which is taught in Grade 3. Common Core fluency stops at products within 100 (10 × 10); the 11 and 12 times tables are England-specific.
How to play
How many can you answer in 60 seconds? Type the answer and press Enter. Questions keep coming for 60 seconds. Type each answer and press Enter, or choose Skip. Answers can be typed with or without commas.
Step by step
- Start from the facts you already know. Children who know the 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 tables already know most facts, because 6 × 4 is the same as 4 × 6. Only a small number of facts are truly new.
- Use derived facts for the harder tables. 6 × 7 is 5 × 7 plus one more 7: 35 + 7 = 42. 9 × 8 is 10 × 8 minus one 8: 80 − 8 = 72.
- Use patterns. In the 9 times table up to 9 × 10, the digits add up to 9 (27, 36, 45). In the 11 times table up to 11 × 9, the digit repeats (44, 55). 12 × n is 10 × n plus 2 × n.
- Practise the inverse. Each fact gives two division facts: 7 × 8 = 56, so 56 ÷ 8 = 7 and 56 ÷ 7 = 8.
Worked examples
Example 1: 7 × 8 = ?
Working: 7 × 4 = 28, and double that is 56. (A rhyme: 5, 6, 7, 8 — 56 = 7 × 8.)
Answer: 56
Example 2: 12 × 6 = ?
Working: 10 × 6 = 60 and 2 × 6 = 12, so 60 + 12.
Answer: 72
Example 3: 108 ÷ 9 = ?
Working: Which number times 9 is 108? 12 × 9 = 108.
Answer: 12
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Struggling with the same few facts: 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 8, 8 × 9 and 12 × 7. Pick two or three tricky facts each week and practise them in short daily bursts.
- Knowing multiplication but not division facts. After each multiplication, ask the matching division straight away.
- Freezing under time pressure. Build accuracy first, then speed. Celebrate beating a personal best rather than comparing with others.
Activities to try at home
- Do one 60-second sprint a day and note the score. Small daily practice is better than a long weekly session.
- Multiply numbers on car number plates or house numbers.
- Play times-table snap or bingo with a deck of fact cards.
Ideas for the classroom
- Use the printable worksheet as a weekly starter and track improvement.
- Make a multiplication square and colour the facts each pupil knows.
- Use distributive law reasoning from the curriculum: 39 × 7 = 30 × 7 + 9 × 7.
Printable worksheet
The printable worksheet uses the same question generator as the game, so it practises exactly the same skills. It comes with a separate answer sheet on the second page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser's print menu.
Frequently asked questions
What is the multiplication tables check?
A statutory online check for Year 4 pupils in England, taken in June. It has 25 multiplication questions up to 12 × 12, with 6 seconds per question. It checks recall of multiplication facts, not division.
Why include division questions?
The National Curriculum asks for recall of both multiplication and division facts, and using facts both ways builds deeper understanding.
Do US students learn the 11 and 12 times tables?
The Common Core asks students to know all products of two one-digit numbers from memory by the end of Grade 3 (3.OA.C.7). The 11 and 12 tables are not required, so this topic goes further.