What is commutativity?

Swapping the two numbers in a multiplication leaves the product unchanged, so 6 × 7 and 7 × 6 both give 42.

Why multiply before adding?

In a mixed expression the multiplication is done first, so 5 × 5 + 5 is 30 rather than 50.

P2 Maths Multiplication Tables Paper 2: Intermediate

2026-11-09

Tutor Prep Guide · P2 Maths

Ten original items on the 6 to 9 tables, commutativity and order of operations.

Direct answers　Items 1-3 cover the 6, 8 and 9 tables, 4-6 test commutativity and multiplying before adding, 7-9 ask for missing factors and repeated addition, and item 10 settles multiplying by zero.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: P2 Maths: Multiplication Tables
Level	P2

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationWork out 6 × 7.
FoundationWork out 8 × 8.
FoundationWork out 9 × 9.
IntermediateIs 7 × 6 the same as 6 × 7? What is the product?
IntermediateWork out 5 × 5 + 5.
IntermediateWork out 4 × 7 − 4.
Challenge6 × what gives 42?
ChallengeWhat times 8 gives 72?
ChallengeWrite 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 as a multiplication and work it out.
Error redoA pupil says 7 × 0 = 7. What is the correct answer?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	42	6 × 7 is 42, which is also 36 plus 6.
2	64	8 × 8 is 64, the eighth multiple of 8.
3	81	9 × 9 is 81, which is 90 minus 9.
4	Yes, 42	Swapping the two numbers leaves the product unchanged; both give 42.
5	30	Multiply first: 25 plus 5 gives 30; adding before multiplying would give 50.
6	24	Take 4 × 7 = 28 and subtract 4 to get 24, which is 4 × 6.
7	7	Sharing 42 into six equal groups gives 7.
8	9	Seventy-two divided by eight is 9.
9	9 × 5 = 45	Five nines added together is 9 × 5, which is 45.
10	0	Any number times 0 is 0; 7 × 0 means no sevens at all, so the count is 0.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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