Double it, then add one more
For 3 × 7, double 7 to get 14, then add another 7 to make 21. Three groups is two groups plus one more, and doubling is something you can already do.
3 times table
The 3 times table is the first one that has to be properly learnt — the answers are not a pattern you can read off, so this is where real practice starts. The good news is that 3s have a hidden check built in that no other small table has.
The 3 times table
- 3 1 3
- 3 2 6
- 3 3 9
- 3 4 12
- 3 5 15
- 3 6 18
- 3 7 21
- 3 8 24
- 3 9 27
- 3 10 30
- 3 11 33
- 3 12 36
Add up the digits of any answer in the 3 times table and you get 3, 6 or 9. 24 → 2 + 4 = 6. 36 → 3 + 6 = 9.
The six-step plan
Work down the steps in order. Each one asks a bit more of you than the last, and the medals stay on this device so you can pick up where you left off.
Your progress
0 of 6 steps doneSay the whole table out loud twice, then once more without looking. Hearing yourself say it is what makes it stick.
Type the answers from 3 × 1 down to 3 × 12. In order is the easy version — you can lean on the one above.
Drag each answer onto its question. Tap an answer and then a question if you would rather not drag.
Same twelve facts, jumbled up. This is where you find out which ones you actually know.
Pick the right answer before the bar runs out. Speed matters here — a fact you know takes under three seconds.
Twelve questions, no clues, one minute. Get them all right and the 3 times table is yours.
Games for the 3 times table
Every game below is set to the 3 times table already. Change the tables inside the game whenever you want a bigger challenge.
Quick Practice
–Straight questions, no clock, no pressure.
True or False
–Is the answer right, or not?
Mixed Practice
–Every kind of question, all shuffled together.
Test Mode
–A graded quiz, marked at the end.
Speed Test
–How many can you answer before the clock stops?
1 Minute Test
–Sixty seconds. How far can you get?
Tricks for the 3 times table
The digit-sum check
Every answer in the 3 times table has digits that add up to 3, 6 or 9. If you answer 3 × 8 = 25, check: 2 + 5 = 7, which is not on the list, so 25 is wrong.
Count in threes to a beat
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36. Clap on every third count and the rhythm does half the remembering for you.
3 times table word problems
Knowing 3 × 7 is one thing; spotting that a question needs 3 × 7 is another. Work these out on paper first, then check.
Legs on a tripod
A photographer sets up 6 tripods. Each tripod has 3 legs. How many legs altogether?
Show the working
3 legs × 6 tripods = 18
18 legs.
Three a day
You practise 3 times tables questions every day for 9 days. How many questions have you answered?
Show the working
3 questions × 9 days = 27
27 questions.
Packs of yoghurt
Yoghurts come in packs of 3. A shop sells 12 packs on Saturday. How many yoghurts is that?
Show the working
3 yoghurts × 12 packs = 36
36 yoghurts.
3 times table chart
Print this chart and put it somewhere it will be seen — on the fridge, inside a pencil case, above a desk. A chart that is glanced at ten times a day beats one that is studied once.
| 3 × 1 | 3 |
|---|---|
| 3 × 2 | 6 |
| 3 × 3 | 9 |
| 3 × 4 | 12 |
| 3 × 5 | 15 |
| 3 × 6 | 18 |
| 3 × 7 | 21 |
| 3 × 8 | 24 |
| 3 × 9 | 27 |
| 3 × 10 | 30 |
| 3 × 11 | 33 |
| 3 × 12 | 36 |
Print the 3 times table worksheets
Five ready-made worksheets for the 3 times table, with answer keys, plus a generator if you want to choose the question types yourself.
Questions about the 3 times table
What is the 3 times table?
3 × 1 = 3, 3 × 2 = 6, 3 × 3 = 9, 3 × 4 = 12, 3 × 5 = 15, 3 × 6 = 18, 3 × 7 = 21, 3 × 8 = 24, 3 × 9 = 27, 3 × 10 = 30, 3 × 11 = 33, 3 × 12 = 36.
How can you tell if a number is in the 3 times table?
Add its digits together. If the total is divisible by 3, so is the number. 51 gives 5 + 1 = 6, so 51 is a multiple of 3. 52 gives 7, so it is not.
Is the 3 times table hard?
It is the first table without a shortcut you can read off the number, so it usually takes a few more sessions than 2, 5 and 10. Once 3 × 6, 3 × 7 and 3 × 8 are secure the rest follows quickly.
Learn the other times tables
Twelve tables, and you already know more of them than you think. Every fact you learn here shows up in another table too.