Every slow table fact costs seconds across the whole paper. Recall to 12×12 should be under two seconds per fact by the start of Year 5, because in a GL 11+ paper you have roughly a minute a question and no calculator — so the child who has to work out 7×8 by counting up has already lost ground before the real thinking begins. This page shows exactly what "times tables and number facts" means at 11+ level, how to build fast recall, and how to move from easy Year 4 warm-ups to exam-level Year 6 questions using the free graded worksheets on Quest Arena.
What times tables and number facts questions really test
At 11+, this skill is far bigger than chanting the 6 times table. Instant recall of multiplication and division facts is the engine that powers almost every other maths topic — fractions, ratio, area, averages and long division all collapse if a child cannot pull a table fact from memory. The 11+ tests it in two ways: directly, through quick number-fact questions, and indirectly, buried inside multi-step problems. The core content a strong pupil needs by exam day is:
- Multiplication and division facts to 12×12, both forwards (7×9) and backwards (63÷9).
- Factors and multiples — listing all factor pairs of a number, and spotting common multiples.
- Prime numbers to at least 50, and the idea that a prime has exactly two factors (1 and itself).
- Square numbers (1, 4, 9, 16 … 144) and cube numbers (1, 8, 27, 64, 125), plus simple square roots.
- Number bonds to 10, 100 and 1000 for fast mental addition and subtraction.
- Divisibility rules — the shortcuts that tell you instantly whether a number divides by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 or 10.
Our free worksheet library grades every one of these across four tiers — Foundation, Developing, Secure and Greater Depth — so a child enters at their level and climbs rather than drowning in questions two years ahead of them.
A quick-reference number-facts sheet
Print this and pin it up. The child should be able to recite every row without hesitation. These are the facts that appear again and again inside 11+ problems.
| Fact family | What to memorise |
|---|---|
| Square numbers | 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, 144 |
| Cube numbers | 1, 8, 27, 64, 125 |
| Primes under 20 | 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 |
| Number bonds to 100 | 37 + 63, 45 + 55, 82 + 18 … (both parts add to 100) |
| Divisible by 3? | Digit sum is a multiple of 3 (e.g. 4+5+3 = 12, so 453 divides by 3) |
| Divisible by 9? | Digit sum is a multiple of 9 |
| Divisible by 4? | Last two digits form a multiple of 4 |
Worked example: finding all the factors of a number
Factor questions are a classic 11+ trap because children rush and miss a pair. The safe method is to walk up in pairs and stop when the pairs meet. Take find all the factors of 36:
- Start at 1: 1 × 36. Write the pair 1 and 36.
- Try 2: 2 × 18. Write 2 and 18.
- Try 3: 3 × 12. Write 3 and 12.
- Try 4: 4 × 9. Write 4 and 9.
- Try 5: doesn't divide, skip.
- Try 6: 6 × 6. Because both numbers are the same, you have reached the middle — stop.
The full list is 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36. The pairing method guarantees you catch every factor and know exactly when to stop — the single most reliable way to avoid dropping the mark.
Mental-maths shortcuts that save whole seconds
Fast pupils do not "work out" the tricky facts — they lean on shortcuts. Teach these three and practise them until they are automatic:
- Doubling and halving: for ×4, double twice (6×4 = double 6 = 12, double again = 24). For ×8, double three times.
- Round and adjust: 9×7 = (10×7) − 7 = 70 − 7 = 63. The nine times table is always ten-times minus one lot.
- Partitioning: 12×6 = (10×6) + (2×6) = 60 + 12 = 72. Split the awkward number into tens and units.
Pair each shortcut with a target time. By Year 6, any single table fact should be answered in under two seconds, and a factor list of a two-digit number inside thirty seconds. Speed here is not showing off — it buys thinking time for the hard geometry and word problems later in the paper. For more on unpicking those, see our revision hub.
How this appears in a real GL 11+ paper
GL Assessment now dominates the 11+ across most English regions after CEM's separate tests were phased out around 2022–2023. In a GL maths paper you typically face about 50 questions in 50 minutes, multiple-choice with answers A–E marked on a separate OMR answer sheet, and no calculator. Number-fact questions rarely announce themselves as "times tables" — they hide inside items like "Which of these is a common multiple of 4 and 6?" or "A number is prime and lies between 20 and 30. Which is it?" The child who recalls facts instantly reads the five options and eliminates them in seconds; the child who calculates each one runs out of time. Because the paper is age-standardised into a Standard Age Score (SAS, roughly 69–141 with 100 as average and many grammar schools looking for about 111+), younger pupils in the year group are not penalised for their age — but nobody is rescued from slow recall. You can see the full timing and format in our GL papers guide, and apply the skill under real conditions in a timed mock paper.
Common mistakes and exam traps
- Missing a factor pair by not using the pairing method — especially forgetting 1 and the number itself.
- Calling 1 a prime number. It is not: a prime needs exactly two factors, and 1 has only one.
- Confusing multiples and factors. Multiples of 6 go 6, 12, 18… (bigger); factors of 6 are 1, 2, 3, 6 (smaller or equal).
- Muddling squares and doubles — 5 squared is 25, not 10.
- Ignoring the last line of a worded question that switches "how many boxes" into "how many left over".
Difficulty progression: Year 5 versus Year 6
The same underlying skill looks very different at each end of preparation, and matching the tier to the child keeps confidence high.
- Year 4/5 warm-up: "Write the first five multiples of 7." A single, direct recall task.
- Year 6 exam-level: "A number is a multiple of 8, a factor of 96, and greater than 20. Which A–E option is it?" — three number-fact ideas layered into one multiple-choice item under time pressure.
Start at the tier where the child scores comfortably, then climb one level only once a sheet is 90% clean. Tracking that climb across the whole syllabus is exactly what our free downloadable worksheets are built for.
How to use the free worksheets
- Diagnose: one Secure-tier sheet, unaided. Under 70%? Drop a tier. Over 90%? Climb one.
- Little and often: 15–20 minutes daily beats a weekend marathon — recall lives in the gaps between sessions.
- Review errors out loud: the child explains what went wrong before you say anything. Self-diagnosis sticks.
- Fold into mocks: once a topic reaches Greater Depth, let full timed mock papers keep it warm rather than more isolated drilling.
Every times tables and number facts worksheet — with answer keys and OMR sheets — is free in our worksheet library under the Maths tab. No card, no email wall. For exam-style application, the mock library and free papers hub carry the same topic inside full papers.
Frequently asked questions
Is a calculator allowed in the 11+?
No. GL maths and reasoning papers are calculator-free, which is precisely why fast, accurate number-fact recall matters so much — there is no fallback.
How quickly should my child recall a table fact?
Aim for under two seconds per fact to 12×12 by the start of Year 5. Anything slower eats into the tight one-minute-per-question budget.
Do I need to know primes and square numbers by heart?
Yes. Primes to 50, square numbers to 144 and cube numbers to 125 come up often, both directly and inside factor and multiple questions. Memorising them frees mental effort for the harder reasoning.