Multiplication tables check: IT guidance
This guidance is designed to help IT support staff who manage the school's ICT network prepare for check administration.
1. Introduction
It is a statutory requirement for schools to administer the multiplication tables check (MTC).
Section 2 of this guidance is designed to help IT support staff who manage the school’s ICT network prepare for check administration. We recommend reviewing technical requirements in advance of the service opening, to ensure sufficient time to resolve any compatibility issues if they occur.
Section 3 recommends actions that IT support staff and check administrators should take to ensure pupil devices are ready before pupils take the check.
Schools can access the MTC service to enable access arrangements and allow pupils to familiarise themselves with the check from Monday 8 April.
The official check administration window in 2024 is 2 weeks, from Monday 3 June to Friday 14 June.
Schools can use the following week, Monday 17 June to Friday 21 June, to administer the check to any pupils who were absent during the first 2 weeks or in case of any delays to the administration of the check due to technical difficulties.
2. Essential technical requirements
The MTC service is intended for use on modern operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, iOS* and Android. It is suitable for desktop, laptop and tablet devices. Where pupil devices have restrictions applied to limited trusted websites, you should ensure the MTC service links below are accessible.
*The MTC will not work on iOS12, or earlier, due to the age and limitations of this technology. If your iPad still uses an older operating system, we recommend updating it to the latest operating system available.
MTC service firewall requirements
School staff will access the MTC service via DfE Sign-in.
The links below are included to support early accessibility checks and you should ensure they are in your network’s list of allowed websites:
- once staff have signed in to DfE Sign-in, they will select the ‘multiplication tables check’* from their list of ‘services’. This will direct to: https://admin.multiplication-tables-check.service.gov.uk
- pupils will access the ‘try it out’ check and official check at: https://pupil.multiplication-tables-check.service.gov.uk
*If you access the ‘multiplication tables check’ service link before Monday 8 April you will see a service closure message. This is correct and means your early accessibility check is successful.
Supporting services
The MTC service and pupil application needs to communicate with supporting services.
It is important that you ensure the following services are within your school’s allowed list:
- https://auth.multiplication-tables- check.service.gov.uk – for pupil authentication
- *.windows.net – for data submission
- *.msecnd.net – for Microsoft Telemetry, which is mandatory to support users
- *.googletagmanager.com – for Google Analytics, which is optional and can be switched on or off in the cookie policy
IT support staff should also enable the school’s network and internet browser to communicate securely over the ‘TLS 1.2’ protocol and ensure secure browsing over HTTPS is permitted – by default, this usually takes place on port 443.
Recommended browsers
The MTC has been designed to support common browsers, such as:
- Chrome
- Safari
- Edge
- Brave
- Firefox
Other browsers may also work with the MTC service, but we suggest you use the ‘try it out’ check, available from Monday 8 April, to ensure your browser can communicate with the supporting services listed above. We recommend that you update your chosen browser to the latest version before pupils take the official check in June.
The MTC will not work on Internet Explorer due to the age and limitations of this browser technology. If your device still uses Internet Explorer, we recommend updating to Microsoft Edge or one of the other recommended browsers that are free to download.
Browser versions can commonly be identified in the ‘Help’ section in your browser settings.
Using the audio version of the check: question reader
Check administrators can enable an audio version of the check as an access arrangement to meet a pupil’s specific needs. As the pupil application is not designed to be compatible with third party screen readers, the audio version was specifically designed to be compatible with the timing of the questions. However, the MTC audio will not work on any version of Internet Explorer or old versions of Microsoft Edge, before version 14, due to the technical limitations of these browsers.
New browsers may also offer text-to-speech services that are an inbuilt option or downloadable extension. These services should be switched off or disabled, to ensure they do not disrupt the pupil’s check.
3. Recommended actions before check administration
We recommend IT staff and check administrators complete the activities below to ensure all pupil devices are prepared for the check and to minimise the risk of disruption.
Are your devices ready to use?
You should ensure that:
- all devices and hardware with a battery are fully charged
- all devices are tested to ensure there are no issues – for example: slow running, sticky or missing keys on the keyboard
- you have disabled standby, hibernate or sleep mode
- if the device requires a mouse, it is tested to ensure it is fully charged and functioning with the device
- if using a keyboard, all number keys work correctly
- if using a keyboard with a number pad, the number lock is switched on
- if using the audio version of the check, headphones are tested to ensure the sound is at an appropriate level for the pupil
- if using the QR code on the printed PIN slips to access the pupil app URL, your device has a working camera with a minimum resolution of 480*320 pixels
Is your operating system up to date?
You should ensure pupil devices have recently been updated and that there are no scheduled or automatic updates on the day of the check.
Is your internet working?
You should ensure your internet connection is working and stable at the start of each day you plan to administer checks.
Is your internet browser ready to use?
You should:
- close any unnecessary tabs on the browser and any other applications being used by the device, before the pupil starts taking the check
- ensure the browser is not in privacy or incognito mode
- ensure cookies are enabled
- ensure your browser has local storage access enabled
- ensure pop-up blocker software is disabled
4. Further assistance
For further IT assistance, you can contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.
When contacting the helpline, they will ask for information about your device to assist troubleshooting. Please ensure you can confirm the:
- type of device you are using – for example: desktop, laptop, tablet or iPad
- operating system – for example: Windows, macOS, iOS or Android
- browser you are using – for example: Edge or Chrome
- issue with as much detail as possible – if possible, we recommend taking a screenshot
For information about accessing DfE Sign-in, including how to manage users, select the ‘Help’ page available when you are signed in. If required, you can also submit a ‘contact us’ form.
Further information about the MTC is available in section 10 of the 2024 key stage 2: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA).
Information about administering the check is available in the MTC administration guidance.
Last updated 6 November 2023 + show all updates
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Updated dates and instructions for the academic year 2023 to 2024
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Essential technical requirements section updated with the requirement for the iOS operating system to run the MTC.
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This guidance has been updated with the most recent dates and instructions.
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Updated for the 2021/22 test cycle.
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First published.