★ Free · No sign-up · Any device

Hit the Button times tables

Pick any times table from 2 to 12, or mix them, and hit the right answers before time runs out. Below you'll find a chart and a memory trick for every table, plus division facts and square numbers.

Play times tables

Best 0
Choose your challenge
Round type

This is an independent Hit the Button style game. It is not affiliated with Topmarks. Disclaimer.

A sensible order to learn them

Start with the tables that have obvious patterns (10, 2 and 5), then 4 and 8 (doubling), 3 and 6, then 9, 11 and 12. Leave the 7 times table until last. By then almost every fact in it is already known from another table. Stick to one table until the score stops rising, then add it to Mixed. Use 90 seconds while learning and 30 once facts feel secure.

What each year group should know

Year 2

2, 5 and 10 times tables, with division facts and odd and even numbers.

Year 3

3, 4 and 8 times tables. Doubling links the 2s, 4s and 8s.

Year 4

Every table up to 12 × 12, checked in the June Multiplication Tables Check.

Year 5

Keep the facts secure and use them for square numbers and written methods.

Behind? That's common. The DfE's Year 4 maths guidance says that if a child doesn't have every fact by the check, facts up to 9 × 9 should come first, because Year 5 written multiplication and division depend on them.

Common times tables mistakes

  • Neighbour swaps: 6 × 8 = 48 and 7 × 8 = 56 get muddled, as do 7 × 6 = 42 and 8 × 6 = 48. Practise them side by side.
  • Counting up from the start: a sign the table was learnt as a chant. Ask facts out of order.
  • Not using the turnaround: 12 × 3 feels hard until a child sees it's 3 × 12.
  • The 9s finger trick taken too far: it works up to 9 × 10, not for 9 × 11 or 9 × 12.

2 times table

Expected by the end of Year 2

  1. 2 × 12
  2. 2 × 24
  3. 2 × 36
  4. 2 × 48
  5. 2 × 510
  6. 2 × 612
  7. 2 × 714
  8. 2 × 816
  9. 2 × 918
  10. 2 × 1020
  11. 2 × 1122
  12. 2 × 1224

💡 Trick: Every answer in the 2 times table is a double. If your child can double, they already know it: 2 × 7 is just double 7.

Pattern: All answers are even and end in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.

Watch out: 2 × 12 = 24 is the one most often missed, simply because it comes last.

3 times table

Expected by the end of Year 3

  1. 3 × 13
  2. 3 × 26
  3. 3 × 39
  4. 3 × 412
  5. 3 × 515
  6. 3 × 618
  7. 3 × 721
  8. 3 × 824
  9. 3 × 927
  10. 3 × 1030
  11. 3 × 1133
  12. 3 × 1236

💡 Trick: Add the digits of any answer and you get 3, 6 or 9 (keep adding if you need to: 27 → 2 + 7 = 9). It is a handy way to check.

Pattern: Answers go odd, even, odd, even: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and so on.

Watch out: 3 × 7 = 21 and 3 × 8 = 24 are where children tend to slow down.

4 times table

Expected by the end of Year 3

  1. 4 × 14
  2. 4 × 28
  3. 4 × 312
  4. 4 × 416
  5. 4 × 520
  6. 4 × 624
  7. 4 × 728
  8. 4 × 832
  9. 4 × 936
  10. 4 × 1040
  11. 4 × 1144
  12. 4 × 1248

💡 Trick: Double, then double again. For 4 × 6, double 6 is 12 and double 12 is 24.

Pattern: Every answer is even, and every other answer is in the 8 times table.

Watch out: 4 × 7 = 28 and 4 × 8 = 32 cause the most mix-ups.

5 times table

Expected by the end of Year 2

  1. 5 × 15
  2. 5 × 210
  3. 5 × 315
  4. 5 × 420
  5. 5 × 525
  6. 5 × 630
  7. 5 × 735
  8. 5 × 840
  9. 5 × 945
  10. 5 × 1050
  11. 5 × 1155
  12. 5 × 1260

💡 Trick: Five is half of ten. Work out 10 × the number and halve it: 5 × 8 is half of 80, which is 40.

Pattern: Answers always end in 5 or 0, and they alternate.

Watch out: Odd × 5 ends in 5 and even × 5 ends in 0, so 5 × 7 cannot be 30.

6 times table

Expected by the end of Year 4

  1. 6 × 16
  2. 6 × 212
  3. 6 × 318
  4. 6 × 424
  5. 6 × 530
  6. 6 × 636
  7. 6 × 742
  8. 6 × 848
  9. 6 × 954
  10. 6 × 1060
  11. 6 × 1166
  12. 6 × 1272

💡 Trick: Do the 3 times table answer and double it. 6 × 7 is double 21, which is 42.

Pattern: When you multiply 6 by an even number, the answer ends in the same digit: 6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 8 = 48.

Watch out: 6 × 7 = 42 and 6 × 8 = 48 are the usual sticking points.

7 times table

Expected by the end of Year 4

  1. 7 × 17
  2. 7 × 214
  3. 7 × 321
  4. 7 × 428
  5. 7 × 535
  6. 7 × 642
  7. 7 × 749
  8. 7 × 856
  9. 7 × 963
  10. 7 × 1070
  11. 7 × 1177
  12. 7 × 1284

💡 Trick: Most of the 7 times table is already known from other tables. Only 7 × 7 = 49 is truly new; the rest can be flipped (7 × 6 is the same as 6 × 7).

Pattern: The last digits run 7, 4, 1, 8, 5, 2, 9, 6, 3, 0, covering every digit once.

Watch out: 7 × 8 = 56 is famously hard. Remember "5, 6, 7, 8": 56 = 7 × 8.

8 times table

Expected by the end of Year 3

  1. 8 × 18
  2. 8 × 216
  3. 8 × 324
  4. 8 × 432
  5. 8 × 540
  6. 8 × 648
  7. 8 × 756
  8. 8 × 864
  9. 8 × 972
  10. 8 × 1080
  11. 8 × 1188
  12. 8 × 1296

💡 Trick: Double three times. For 8 × 6: double 6 is 12, double 12 is 24, double 24 is 48.

Pattern: The last digits go 8, 6, 4, 2, 0 and then repeat.

Watch out: 8 × 7 = 56 and 8 × 8 = 64 are the ones to drill.

9 times table

Expected by the end of Year 4

  1. 9 × 19
  2. 9 × 218
  3. 9 × 327
  4. 9 × 436
  5. 9 × 545
  6. 9 × 654
  7. 9 × 763
  8. 9 × 872
  9. 9 × 981
  10. 9 × 1090
  11. 9 × 1199
  12. 9 × 12108

💡 Trick: Use the finger trick: hold up ten fingers and fold down the one you are multiplying by. For 9 × 4, fold the fourth finger: 3 fingers to the left, 6 to the right, so 36.

Pattern: The digits of each answer up to 9 × 10 add up to 9, and the tens digit goes up as the ones digit goes down.

Watch out: Another way in: 9 × n is 10 × n take away n. So 9 × 7 is 70 − 7 = 63.

10 times table

Expected by the end of Year 2

  1. 10 × 110
  2. 10 × 220
  3. 10 × 330
  4. 10 × 440
  5. 10 × 550
  6. 10 × 660
  7. 10 × 770
  8. 10 × 880
  9. 10 × 990
  10. 10 × 10100
  11. 10 × 11110
  12. 10 × 12120

💡 Trick: Multiplying by 10 moves every digit one place to the left, and a zero fills the empty ones place. It is a place value idea, not just "add a zero", which matters later with decimals.

Pattern: Every answer ends in 0.

Watch out: Children rarely get these wrong. Use them as a warm-up and a confidence boost.

11 times table

Expected by the end of Year 4

  1. 11 × 111
  2. 11 × 222
  3. 11 × 333
  4. 11 × 444
  5. 11 × 555
  6. 11 × 666
  7. 11 × 777
  8. 11 × 888
  9. 11 × 999
  10. 11 × 10110
  11. 11 × 11121
  12. 11 × 12132

💡 Trick: Up to 11 × 9 you just repeat the digit: 11 × 6 = 66. For 11 × 10, 11 × 11 and 11 × 12, think 10 lots plus 1 lot: 11 × 12 = 120 + 12 = 132.

Pattern: Double digits up to 99, then 110, 121, 132.

Watch out: 11 × 11 = 121 and 11 × 12 = 132 are the ones that trip people up.

12 times table

Expected by the end of Year 4

  1. 12 × 112
  2. 12 × 224
  3. 12 × 336
  4. 12 × 448
  5. 12 × 560
  6. 12 × 672
  7. 12 × 784
  8. 12 × 896
  9. 12 × 9108
  10. 12 × 10120
  11. 12 × 11132
  12. 12 × 12144

💡 Trick: Split it into 10 and 2. For 12 × 7: 10 × 7 = 70, 2 × 7 = 14, and 70 + 14 = 84.

Pattern: Every answer is even, and each one is double the matching answer in the 6 times table.

Watch out: 12 × 7 = 84, 12 × 8 = 96 and 12 × 12 = 144 are the hardest to remember.

Division facts

Division facts are times tables in reverse. Every multiplication fact gives you three more: from 4 × 9 = 36 you also get 9 × 4 = 36, 36 ÷ 4 = 9 and 36 ÷ 9 = 4. Teachers call this a fact family.

Practise division for a table once its multiplication is fairly secure. For 56 ÷ 8, ask "8 times what makes 56?". If division feels slow, go back to the multiplication for a round or two. This game uses exact division only. Remainders come later and use the same facts: 38 ÷ 6 is 6 remainder 2 because 6 × 6 = 36.

Square numbers

A square number is a number multiplied by itself, written with a small 2: 6² = 6 × 6 = 36. That many counters can be arranged into a perfect square. Square numbers are introduced in Year 5.

  1. 1²1
  2. 2²4
  3. 3²9
  4. 4²16
  5. 5²25
  6. 6²36
  7. 7²49
  8. 8²64
  9. 9²81
  10. 10²100
  11. 11²121
  12. 12²144

The gaps between squares are the odd numbers: 1, then +3 = 4, +5 = 9, +7 = 16. Forgotten 8²? Add 15 to 49 and you get 64. The ones children forget most are 7² = 49, 8² = 64 and 12² = 144.

More ideas: how to learn times tables fast and our Year 4 MTC guide.

By Daniel Carter · Updated

Frequently asked questions

What order should children learn times tables in?

Most schools start with 10, 2 and 5, then 3, 4 and 8, then 6, 9, 11, 12 and finally 7. Each new table builds on one already known: the 4s are doubled 2s, and the 8s are doubled 4s.

How many times table facts are there to learn?

Up to 12 × 12 there are 144 facts. Because 3 × 8 is the same as 8 × 3, there are only 78 different ones, and the 1, 2, 5 and 10 tables take care of many of those.

When should children know all their times tables?

The national curriculum for England expects children to recall multiplication and division facts up to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4, when they take the Multiplication Tables Check.

Which times table is the hardest?

The Standards and Testing Agency treats the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables as the most difficult, and gives them the most questions in the Year 4 check. Facts such as 7 × 8 = 56, 6 × 7 = 42 and 12 × 7 = 84 cause the most trouble.

What are division facts and square numbers?

Division facts are times tables in reverse (from 6 × 7 = 42 you get 42 ÷ 6 = 7). A square number is a number times itself, such as 5² = 25, introduced in Year 5.

Keep practising

Bond pairs

Pairs that make 10, 20 and 100.

Doubles and halves

Double to 20 and halve to 40 at speed.

Halves

Halve even numbers up to 40.

Division facts

The inverse of your times tables.

Square numbers

From 1² up to 12².

Sport themes

Sport themes — goals or baskets for every right answer.

How to play

Rules, controls and tips.

Classroom ideas

Using it in class and as a starter.