Parents and carers of Year 4 children
Multiplication Tables Check 2027: Dates and Format
The Year 4 multiplication tables check 2027 runs in the two-week window starting Monday 7 June 2027. Schools in England must administer it within that fortnight, on a day of their choosing. It is statutory for Year 4 children in state schools, and it is taken on screen, not on paper.
The window comes from the Department for Education's published timetable of future assessment dates, which already covers 2028 as well.
The format, in numbers
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 25, all multiplication, drawn from the 2 to 12 times tables |
| Time per question | 6 seconds to answer, with a 3-second pause between questions |
| Length | Under 5 minutes in total |
| How it is taken | On screen, at school, typed answers |
| Pass mark | There is none; the score out of 25 is reported, with no pass or fail |
Questions are weighted towards the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, the ones children find hardest. Because each answer has a 6-second limit, the check rewards quick recall rather than working things out, which is why little-and-often practice through the spring term helps more than a big push in June.
How to prepare without drama
Our free multiplication tables check preparation page mirrors the real format, with no account needed. A few minutes a day from January is comfortably enough for most children. If times tables are part of a wider maths wobble, the guide for a child struggling with maths in Year 4 has a calmer starting plan.
Home-educated children do not take the check; it is administered by schools and nothing is required of families educating at home.
Multiplication tables check 2028
The 2028 window is already published: the two weeks from Monday 5 June 2028. The format is unchanged.
Sources, verification and updates
Primary source: the Department for Education's primary assessments future dates page for the windows, and the DfE's multiplication tables check administration guidance for the format.
- Last verified: 28 August 2026, against the gov.uk future dates page.
- Next review: March 2027, when administration guidance for the 2027 check cycle is refreshed.
- Change log: 28 August 2026, page first published; 2027 and 2028 windows checked against gov.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a pass mark for the multiplication tables check?
No. Each child gets a score out of 25 and there is no pass or fail threshold. Schools see the scores and report them to parents; many children score full marks, but the check is designed to show which children need more support with recall, not to grade them.
Which times tables come up most?
Questions can come from the 2 to 12 times tables, and the check deliberately asks more from the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables. Practising those five gives the best return.
What if my child is absent during the window?
The school can administer the check on any day within the two-week window, so a short absence usually just moves the day. A child who is unwell for the whole window simply does not take it that year; there is no resit later.
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