A packet of crisps has 24 crisps inside. How many crisps are in 3 packets?
Show worked explanation
24 × 3 = 72. You can work this out as (20 × 3) + (4 × 3) = 60 + 12 = 72. ✓
11+ Long Multiplication Practice
(GL Assessment)
GL Assessment rarely tests long multiplication as a naked sum like "what is 347 times 26?". Instead it embeds multiplication in a context: a shopping bill, an area, a recipe scaled up, or a multi-step problem combined with another operation. Number questions dominate the GL maths paper, typically five times more than any other strand, and multiplication sits right at the heart of that strand.
The paper gives 50 questions in 50 minutes, so accuracy under time pressure is the real test. A child who can do the column method but cannot decide when to multiply, or who makes one carrying slip, will lose marks to answers GL has designed to look almost right.
If your child knows their times tables and can choose between a quick mental method and the written column method, long multiplication becomes one of the more dependable sources of marks on the paper. Confidence here comes from fluency, not cleverness.
What the GL 11+ Tests on Long Multiplication
Every question is multiple choice with five options (A to E), and no calculator is allowed. Difficulty runs across D1 to D3. Our research estimates the mix as follows, in rough order of how the marks fall:
- Multi-step problems combining multiplication with another operation (the largest share)
- Single-step word problems where the child must spot that multiplication is needed
- The formal written column method, 3 to 4 digits by 1 to 2 digits
- Multiplication as a tool inside other topics (area, scaling, money, speed)
- Mental strategies (times 10, 100, 1000, doubling and halving, partitioning)
- Estimation and checking with the inverse
The headline Year 6 skill is multiplying a 4-digit number by a 2-digit number, but GL leans just as heavily on reading a worded problem correctly and finishing every step.
Sample Long Multiplication Questions
Five questions drawn from PrepStep’s long multiplication bank, spanning Foundation to Challenging. Tap “Show worked explanation” to see the full method after you’ve had a go. The correct answer is highlighted on each question so you can check immediately.
A school hall has 23 rows of chairs with 14 chairs in each row. How many chairs are there altogether?
Show worked explanation
23 × 14: (23 × 10 = 230) + (23 × 4 = 92) = 230 + 92 = 322. ✓
A farmer plants 46 rows of apple trees with 27 trees in each row. How many apple trees does he plant?
Show worked explanation
46 × 27: (46 × 20 = 920) + (46 × 7 = 322) = 920 + 322 = 1,242. ✓
A printing press prints 284 posters per hour. How many posters are printed in 36 hours?
Show worked explanation
284 × 36: (284 × 30 = 8,520) + (284 × 6 = 1,704) = 8,520 + 1,704 = 10,224. ✓
A farmer collects 127 eggs each day. How many eggs does he collect in 48 days?
Show worked explanation
127 × 48: (127 × 50 = 6,350) - (127 × 2 = 254) = 6,350 - 254 = 6,096. ✓
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Common mistake 1 of 4
Forgetting the placeholder zero.
Tip: When multiplying by the tens digit, a zero must hold the units place. Skipping it makes the answer far too small, so a quick estimate first will flag it.
Common mistake 2 of 4
Carrying slips in the "difficult middle".
Tip: The 6, 7, and 8 times tables cause most errors, and GL targets them. Drill these facts to instant recall so they never wobble mid-calculation.
Common mistake 3 of 4
Stopping one step early.
Tip: In a problem like "buy 7 items at £12, how much change from £100?", children answer 84 instead of 16. Re-read the actual question once they have a number.
Common mistake 4 of 4
Leaving the answer in the wrong units.
Tip: Working in pence and forgetting to convert to pounds turns a correct calculation into a wrong answer. Always check what unit the question wants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the GL 11+ include long multiplication?
Yes. Multiplying up to 4 digits by a 2-digit number is a Year 6 skill GL tests, almost always inside a word problem rather than as a bare sum. Multiplication also appears as a step within area, money, scaling, and multi-step questions across the paper.
Are calculators allowed in the GL maths exam?
No. Children must multiply using mental methods and the formal written column method. This is why times tables fluency and a reliable column method matter so much for the 11+.
What is the most common multiplication mistake in the 11+?
Forgetting the placeholder zero when multiplying by the tens digit, and small carrying errors in the 6, 7, and 8 times tables. GL builds wrong answers around exactly these slips, so they look convincingly close to the correct one.
How do I help my child with long multiplication for the 11+?
Secure instant recall of all times tables to 12 times 12 first. Then practise the column method with an estimate beforehand as a check, and teach mental shortcuts like doubling and halving so they can pick the fastest route under time pressure.
Do children need mental maths as well as the written method?
Yes. With about a minute per question, a child who spots that 25 times 36 can be done as 50 times 18 saves valuable time. GL designs some questions so a strong mental strategy beats the full written method.
Ready to build real long multiplication confidence?
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