11+ Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables Online Tests
Mental arithmetic is the engine of the whole 11+ maths paper. The exam is non-calculator and tightly timed, so a child who computes quickly and accurately in their head is not merely faster - they have more thinking time left for the hard questions at the end.
Times tables to 12 x 12 should be instant and automatic, in both directions: knowing that 7 x 8 is 56 matters, and so does knowing that 56 divided by 7 is 8. On top of that, the 11+ rewards strategy: partitioning, compensating, doubling and halving, and applying the order of operations correctly.
21 free Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables tests
Timed and marked instantly, with an explanation for every question. No sign-up needed.
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Easy Test 1 Easy 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Easy Test 2 Easy 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Easy Test 3 Easy 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Easy Test 4 Easy 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Easy Test 5 Easy 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 1 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 2 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 3 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 4 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 5 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 6 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 7 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Medium Test 8 Medium 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 1 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 2 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 3 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 4 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 5 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 6 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 7 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
- Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: Hard Test 8 Hard 15 questions · 15 min
What these Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables tests cover
- Times tables to 12 x 12 and the matching division facts
- Number bonds to 10, 100 and 1,000
- Doubling and halving, including of larger numbers
- Partitioning and compensation strategies for fast addition
- Order of operations, often remembered as BIDMAS
- Column addition, subtraction, short and long multiplication and division
Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables: tips that earn marks
- To multiply by 4, double and double again; to multiply by 5, multiply by 10 and halve. These beat the standard method almost every time.
- For 99 or 98, add 100 and take the difference back off: 347 + 99 is 447 - 1, which is 446.
- BIDMAS: brackets, indices, then division and multiplication left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right. Division and multiplication rank equally, so work through them in the order they appear.
- Practise little and often. Five minutes of tables every day beats an hour once a week for building genuine recall.
Questions parents ask about Mental Arithmetic & Times Tables
How fast should times tables be for the 11+?
Instant. If a child has to pause and work one out, the pause will cost them elsewhere in a paper where time is the binding constraint.
Is BIDMAS tested directly in the 11+?
Yes, usually as a short calculation with brackets designed to catch children who simply work from left to right.
Do these tests allow rough working?
Yes. Working things out on paper is fine and often sensible - the aim is accuracy first, with speed coming from practice rather than from rushing.