Multiplying two 2-digit numbers using the formal long multiplication method with partial products.
Where your child meets this in real life: Calculating larger quantities (e.g., 24 boxes of 36 items), area calculations
SEAGReady breaks long multiplication into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Building block, not tested on its own
Multiply a 2-digit number by a multiple of 10 by multiplying by the tens digit, then by 10 (e.g., 34 × 20 = 34 × 2 × 10 = 680)
Multiply a 2-digit number by a 2-digit number by splitting it into tens and ones, then adding the two partial products (e.g., 23 × 12 = 230 + 46)
Use long multiplication with carrying in both partial products, and add them carefully (e.g., 47 × 36 = 1410 + 282 = 1692)
Try three free questions from our long multiplication course. They start easy and get harder, so you can see where your child's confidence runs out. If they manage the last one without a hint, this topic is probably secure. If not, the steps above show where to start.
A shop orders 20 boxes of folders. Each box contains 32 folders. How many folders is that altogether?
Kyle runs 15 laps of the track each day. The track is 32 metres around. How many metres does Kyle run each day?
A factory makes 84 boxes of biscuits per hour. Each box contains 96 biscuits. The factory runs for 8 hours per day. How many biscuits does the factory make in one day?
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
A school orders 20 packs of exercise books. Each pack contains 34 books.
How many exercise books is that altogether?
34 × 20
Multiplying by 20 is the same as multiplying by 2, then by 10
Step 1 of 3
A school orders 20 packs of exercise books. Each pack contains 34 books.
How many exercise books is that altogether?
The school orders 680 exercise books altogether.
The key insight: Multiplying by 20 is just multiplying by 2 and adding a zero!
Common mix-up: 34 × 20 = 68. Forgetting to multiply by 10 after multiplying by 2.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in long multiplication, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with long multiplication? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
Sitting the SEAG test this November? Read our last-month revision plan, Paper 1 vs Paper 2 and test day guide.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.
Free to start · no card needed