The 7 times table
The 7 times table is the one children (and parents) call the hardest - and with reason. Seven is prime, so there is no doubling route, no ending rule and no digit trick. What there is: most of it is already known from the other tables by the commutative law, and the few new facts can be pinned down with memory hooks. It is a Year 4 table and a favourite of the MTC.
Introduced in Year 4 · tested in the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check · free, no sign-up
The full table - 7 × 1 to 7 × 12
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| 7 × 1 | 7 |
| 7 × 2 | 14 |
| 7 × 3 | 21 |
| 7 × 4 | 28 |
| 7 × 5 | 35 |
| 7 × 6 | 42 |
| 7 × 7 | 49 |
| 7 × 8 | 56 |
| 7 × 9 | 63 |
| 7 × 10 | 70 |
| 7 × 11 | 77 |
| 7 × 12 | 84 |
Multiples of 7: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84
How to remember the 7 times table
7 x 2, 7 x 3, 7 x 4, 7 x 5 and 7 x 10 are just the 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 10s the other way round (turn-around facts). The genuinely new facts are 7 x 6, 7 x 7, 7 x 8, 7 x 9, 7 x 11 and 7 x 12 - and 7 x 11 is easy. That leaves five facts to learn, not twelve.
The fact everyone forgets, 7 x 8 = 56, is a countdown: 5, 6, 7, 8 - '56 = 7 x 8'. Say it out loud a few times and it never leaves.
7 x 6 = 5 x 6 + 2 x 6 = 30 + 12 = 42. 7 x 9 = 45 + 18 = 63. Splitting 7 into 5 + 2 uses two easy tables to build every hard fact.
Square numbers are easier to remember than mixed facts because both numbers match. Then 7 x 8 is 49 + 7 = 56 and 7 x 6 is 49 - 7 = 42. Anchor on the square and step one either way.
- 7 x 8 = 56 - the most-missed fact in the 12 x 12 grid; remember 5-6-7-8
- 7 x 6 = 42 - 7 x 7 take away 7, or 5 x 6 + 2 x 6
- 7 x 9 = 63 - the 9s finger trick gives 6 and 3 straight away
- 7 x 12 = 84 - 70 + 14
Practise what you have learnt
Frequently asked questions
What are the multiples of 7 up to 84?
7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84. There is no simple ending pattern - 7 is prime, so the multiples have to be learnt.
Why is the 7 times table the hardest?
Because 7 is a prime number with no shortcut: you cannot double, halve or use an ending rule. The good news is that most 7s facts are already known from the other tables, leaving only a handful to learn.
What is the trick for 7 x 8?
5, 6, 7, 8: the digits count up, so 56 = 7 x 8. Alternatively, 7 x 7 = 49 plus one more 7 is 56.
When do children learn the 7 times table?
In Year 4, as part of learning all tables to 12 x 12 before the Multiplication Tables Check in June. It is usually taught last, once the 6s and 8s are secure.