Multiplication and Divisions — Year 4 Maths

Year 4 multiplication and division: what pupils learn

Year 4 is the big times tables year. Pupils complete every table up to 12 × 12 and take the national Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) in June. They also learn the formal written method for multiplying two- and three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers.

By the end of Year 4, the National Curriculum expects pupils to:

• recall multiplication and division facts for all times tables up to 12 × 12
• use place value and known facts to multiply and divide mentally, including multiplying by 0 and 1, dividing by 1, and multiplying three numbers together
• recognise and use factor pairs and commutativity (3 × 7 = 7 × 3) in mental calculations
• multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using the formal written method
• solve problems involving multiplying and adding, including scaling problems and harder correspondence problems

Key vocabulary

product, factor, factor pair, multiple, commutative, inverse, short multiplication, place value, divisible, remainder

How it builds

Year 4 completes the times tables started in Years 2 and 3. In Year 5, pupils move on to multiplying by two-digit numbers (long multiplication), short division, prime numbers, and square and cube numbers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Multiplication Tables Check?
A short, on-screen check taken by Year 4 pupils in England in June. There are 25 questions on times tables up to 12 × 12, with 6 seconds to answer each one.

What is a factor pair?
Two numbers that multiply to make a given number. The factor pairs of 12 are 1 and 12, 2 and 6, and 3 and 4.

How can my child get faster at times tables?
Little and often works best: a few minutes a day, focusing on the tables they find hardest (often 6, 7, 8 and 12), and using known facts to work out others.

Start with our free resources, or get every Year 4 maths lesson with a membership.