Anxiety & Timing

Does keyboard speed affect MTC results?

The MTC is a digital test: children type their answers on a device. So the score depends on two things at once: how well your child remembers and how quickly they find and press the right keys.

What the research says

The MTC framework sets a 6-second window per question covering the full cycle: read the question, remember the answer, type it. It doesn’t say how that time is split: remembering and typing share the same window, and the check measures them together.

What this means in practice

If your child practises out loud or on paper, they’re training memory on its own, which is useful for building it. On test day, though, the task is different: remembering and typing, together. Practising in the test format as well closes that gap.

Try this

Ask the school which device will be used for the MTC and, if possible, practise on the same type.
If keyboard speed is an issue, add some typing practice in the weeks before the test: not as the main method, but to get used to the test.
Answering out loud is the simplest way to train memory and measure its speed; keyboard practice matters mostly at the end. They’re two different things, both useful at the right time.

→ With TabTabTab, children practise out loud, keeping remembering separate from typing. Some keyboard practice can be added later, closer to the test.

Sources

GOV.UK MTC framework — official guidance

Last reviewed: 2026-08-01