The short answer
The multiplication tables check, or MTC, is a statutory on-screen check for Year 4 pupils in England, testing times tables up to 12 x 12. It takes each child under five minutes and sits in a two-week window in June. There is no published pass mark. British curriculum schools in the UAE are private schools overseas, so the MTC is not compulsory for them, and whether a given school runs it is a question for that school.
Parents at British curriculum schools in the UAE sometimes hear about the "MTC" from another parent, or see it mentioned in a school newsletter, well before anyone explains what it is. This guide sets out what the check actually tests, how the on-screen format works, when it happens, and how much of it applies to a school in Dubai or Abu Dhabi rather than one in England.
What the MTC is
The multiplication tables check is an on-screen check of times tables up to 12 x 12, taken by Year 4 pupils in class. It is one of three statutory primary assessments in England, alongside the Year 1 phonics screening check and the Year 6 key stage 2 tests. Under standard administration it takes each pupil less than five minutes.
How the check actually works
The check is taken on a computer or tablet, one child at a time, in school, and covers times tables up to 12 x 12. Under standard administration the whole thing is over for that pupil in under five minutes. There is no written preparation booklet to fill in beforehand, and nothing is sent home to complete.
When it happens
The check sits in a set window in June each year. For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the Department for Education has published a two-week window from Monday 7 June 2027. Schools choose exactly when within that window to run it, and a school does not need to sit every child on the same day.
Whether your UAE school runs it
This is the part that needs a different answer from an England-based guide. The MTC, like the rest of England’s statutory assessments, applies to state-funded schools in England. A British curriculum school in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is a private school overseas, so it is not required to run the MTC, and practice varies from school to school. Some run it in the same June window as schools in England, because it gives them a comparable national data point; others do not run it at all, or use their own times-tables assessment instead.
There is no reliable way to guess which of those applies to your child’s school, so ask directly. A short, specific question works best: does the school run the Year 4 multiplication tables check, and if so, does it report the result to parents, or is it used internally to plan teaching.
What actually helps a child prepare
The check tests recall speed on ordinary National Curriculum content, so the useful preparation is steady practice of times tables across Year 3 and Year 4 rather than a burst of drilling in May. Times tables up to 12 x 12 are a normal Year 4 curriculum expectation with or without the check, so the practice is worth doing whether or not a school gives the MTC itself.
That steady, curriculum-mapped practice is what Decifer Learning is built for. A Year 4 child on Decifer practises the same multiplication objectives as a Year 4 child in England, with quick fluency-style questions rather than long written exercises. Our free Skills Check takes about ten minutes and shows you, strand by strand, whether times tables are secure for your child’s year group before you worry about a formal check at all.
The MTC is one section of a bigger picture of UK primary assessment. Our guide to SATs and the other primary assessments covers where it sits alongside the Year 1 phonics check and the Year 6 SATs, and what a UAE parent should ask about each one.
What does MTC stand for?
Multiplication tables check. It is a statutory on-screen check for Year 4 pupils in England, testing times tables up to 12 x 12.
Is there a pass mark for the MTC?
No. The Department for Education publishes no expected standard for the multiplication tables check, so the score describes how fluent a child is with tables up to 12 x 12 and nothing more.
How long does the MTC take?
Under standard administration it takes each pupil less than five minutes, covering times tables up to 12 x 12.
When is the MTC in 2027?
The Department for Education has published a two-week window from Monday 7 June 2027 for schools in England. A UAE school that chooses to run the check would typically follow a similar window, but confirm the exact dates with your school.
Do British schools in the UAE have to give the MTC?
No. British curriculum schools in the UAE are private schools overseas and are not required to run any UK statutory assessment, the MTC included. Whether a specific school runs it, and what it does with the result, varies by school, so ask directly.
Sources
Facts in this guide come from public, verifiable sources. Fees and ratings change: always confirm directly with the school or regulator before making a decision.