🎒 School year, England
Year 4
The Multiplication Tables Check — a low-stakes, single-skill check in June
By Sophie Hart · Founder & Editor
What to expect
Year 4 continues Lower Key Stage 2, building on Year 3 with more complex subject content across the curriculum.
Statutory checks and assessments
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is statutory for all Year 4 pupils in state-funded schools in England. It's a short, on-screen check: 25 questions covering times tables up to 12×12, with 6 seconds allowed per question, usually administered in a June testing window. Importantly, there's no pass or fail — it reports a score, not a standard met or not met, so it's a lower-stakes check than it sometimes gets built up to be.
Home life & homework
Regular, short times-tables practice in the run-up to June (a few minutes daily rather than long sessions) is genuinely useful preparation, since the check rewards quick recall over working things out under time pressure.
Social & emotional
Most Year 4 children are comfortable with school routines and increasingly able to manage their own organisation, though support with organisation and time-keeping is still developmentally appropriate.
What to focus on
Keep times-tables practice low-pressure — since there's no pass mark, framing the MTC as 'let's see how quick you are' rather than a test to fear tends to work better than heavy formal revision.
When to check in with the school
If your child finds times tables genuinely difficult despite regular practice, flag it to the teacher — extra support is more useful found early than left until Year 6.
Year 4: common questions
What should I expect in Year 4?
The Multiplication Tables Check — a low-stakes, single-skill check in June. Year 4 continues Lower Key Stage 2, building on Year 3 with more complex subject content across the curriculum. This covers England's state school system — every child and school is different.
Are there any tests in Year 4?
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is statutory for all Year 4 pupils in state-funded schools in England. It's a short, on-screen check: 25 questions covering times tables up to 12×12, with 6 seconds allowed per question, usually administered in a June testing window. Importantly, there's no pass or fail — it reports a score, not a standard met or not met, so it's a lower-stakes check than it sometimes gets built up to be.
What should I focus on at home during Year 4?
Keep times-tables practice low-pressure — since there's no pass mark, framing the MTC as 'let's see how quick you are' rather than a test to fear tends to work better than heavy formal revision.
Sources & further reading
- School starting age — GOV.UK
- Primary assessments: future dates — GOV.UK / Standards and Testing Agency
This covers England's state school system only — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run different systems. This is general information, not advice for your specific child; your child's school and teacher are the best source for anything specific to them. Reviewed July 2026.