What the MTC actually is
Introduced statutorily in 2022, the Multiplication Tables Check is an on-screen, timed check of times-table fluency. Every state-school pupil in England sits it in the summer of Year 4. The format is deliberately simple: 25 questions, 6 seconds per question, tables 1× through 12×.
Why 6 seconds matters
The 6-second window is not incidental. It's designed to test fluent recall, not calculation. A child who can compute 7×8 by counting up 8s in their head will run out of time. A child who has memorised 7×8 = 56 will breeze through. That's why chanting-based prep fails, and why random-recall practice is essential.
The MTC weights harder tables more
The check isn't uniform. The 6×, 7×, 8×, 9×, 11× and 12× tables appear more often than 2×, 5× and 10×. Prepare accordingly — spend the last three weeks of prep on those six tables.
A six-week prep plan (that isn't stressful)
- Weeks 1–2: Fluency audit. Which tables is your child slow on? MathStar's stats screen flags them automatically.
- Weeks 3–4: Daily 10-minute drill on the slowest three tables.
- Weeks 5–6: Mixed random-recall in 6-second mode. This is what Soundcheck's "MTC mode" is designed for.
Where MathStar fits
MathStar's Soundcheck uses the same 6-second timing and random-recall format as the MTC — but wrapped in a rock-concert theme kids actually want to open. It's free on the App Store, and there's no chat, no messaging, and no ads.