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Maths · Data

Read a table cell

Find one value at a named row and column.

Watch the worked example

Row, Column, Answer!

This video shows how to find a value in a table by following the correct row and column headings. Watch an 11+ maths question solved step by step.

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Quick quiz: Read a table cell

10 questions, with feedback after each one. No sign-up needed.

Read the questions in this quiz
  1. Question 1

    How many January skaters are recorded for Morning?

    Morning
    December skaters
    419
    January skaters
    311
    Holiday
    December skaters
    634
    January skaters
    126
    Weekend
    December skaters
    638
    January skaters
    193
    Evening
    December skaters
    362
    January skaters
    675
    Disco
    December skaters
    482
    January skaters
    147
    Twilight
    December skaters
    551
    January skaters
    319
    • A.419
    • B.126
    • C.311
    • D.634
  2. Question 2

    How many Evening seats are recorded for Comets?

    Galaxies
    Matinee seats
    98
    Evening seats
    781
    Meteors
    Matinee seats
    513
    Evening seats
    565
    Eclipses
    Matinee seats
    624
    Evening seats
    320
    Planets
    Matinee seats
    597
    Evening seats
    706
    Nebulae
    Matinee seats
    442
    Evening seats
    605
    Comets
    Matinee seats
    360
    Evening seats
    413
    • A.98
    • B.781
    • C.413
    • D.360
  3. Question 3

    How many Senior dancers are recorded for Salsa?

    Swing
    Junior dancers
    587
    Senior dancers
    388
    Breakdance
    Junior dancers
    729
    Senior dancers
    214
    Ballet
    Junior dancers
    633
    Senior dancers
    603
    Flamenco
    Junior dancers
    542
    Senior dancers
    50
    Salsa
    Junior dancers
    394
    Senior dancers
    268
    Folk
    Junior dancers
    722
    Senior dancers
    259
    • A.259
    • B.394
    • C.722
    • D.268
  4. Question 4

    How many Year 5 members are recorded for Chess?

    Choir
    Year 5 members
    394
    Year 6 members
    222
    Judo
    Year 5 members
    461
    Year 6 members
    595
    Drama
    Year 5 members
    236
    Year 6 members
    158
    Coding
    Year 5 members
    621
    Year 6 members
    434
    Art
    Year 5 members
    190
    Year 6 members
    320
    Chess
    Year 5 members
    263
    Year 6 members
    446
    • A.222
    • B.446
    • C.394
    • D.263
  5. Question 5

    How many April seedlings are recorded for Spinach?

    Spinach
    April seedlings
    663
    May seedlings
    221
    Carrots
    April seedlings
    425
    May seedlings
    85
    Parsnips
    April seedlings
    431
    May seedlings
    95
    Leeks
    April seedlings
    473
    May seedlings
    207
    Onions
    April seedlings
    162
    May seedlings
    766
    Radishes
    April seedlings
    567
    May seedlings
    109
    • A.425
    • B.663
    • C.85
    • D.221
  6. Question 6

    How many Saturday seats are recorded for Comedy?

    Opera
    Friday seats
    583
    Saturday seats
    199
    Musical
    Friday seats
    147
    Saturday seats
    456
    Comedy
    Friday seats
    337
    Saturday seats
    426
    Pantomime
    Friday seats
    193
    Saturday seats
    398
    Puppetry
    Friday seats
    517
    Saturday seats
    107
    Ballet
    Friday seats
    756
    Saturday seats
    567
    • A.398
    • B.337
    • C.426
    • D.2153
  7. Question 7

    How many April loads are recorded for Cardboard?

    Rubble
    April loads
    593
    October loads
    692
    Cardboard
    April loads
    356
    October loads
    770
    Timber
    April loads
    228
    October loads
    165
    Textiles
    April loads
    251
    October loads
    465
    Compost
    April loads
    204
    October loads
    199
    Batteries
    April loads
    777
    October loads
    275
    • A.228
    • B.770
    • C.356
    • D.1126
  8. Question 8

    How many South plot trees are recorded for Oak?

    Rowan
    North plot trees
    378
    South plot trees
    552
    Birch
    North plot trees
    606
    South plot trees
    52
    Hazel
    North plot trees
    121
    South plot trees
    142
    Oak
    North plot trees
    179
    South plot trees
    418
    Alder
    North plot trees
    157
    South plot trees
    460
    Beech
    North plot trees
    210
    South plot trees
    467
    • A.460
    • B.179
    • C.157
    • D.418
  9. Question 9

    How many Monday crates are recorded for Squid?

    Crab
    Monday crates
    365
    Friday crates
    384
    Herring
    Monday crates
    295
    Friday crates
    230
    Mackerel
    Monday crates
    228
    Friday crates
    76
    Scallops
    Monday crates
    439
    Friday crates
    171
    Lobster
    Monday crates
    607
    Friday crates
    255
    Squid
    Monday crates
    222
    Friday crates
    341
    • A.365
    • B.341
    • C.384
    • D.222
  10. Question 10

    How many July bookings are recorded for Hilltop?

    Hilltop
    June bookings
    793
    July bookings
    608
    Orchard
    June bookings
    670
    July bookings
    691
    Copse
    June bookings
    232
    July bookings
    89
    Meadow
    June bookings
    689
    July bookings
    675
    Woodland
    June bookings
    694
    July bookings
    66
    Paddock
    June bookings
    545
    July bookings
    523
    • A.793
    • B.608
    • C.670
    • D.691

Practise it now

How many packed lunches does this table show for Hazel in the Tuesday column? Choose the number, then tap the cell you took it from.

Loading the interactive exercise. Nothing you do here is saved or scored.

A worked example

One question of the kind this skill is tested with, worked all the way through: the reasoning, and what the wrong answers are there to catch.

Finding a value in the table

How many January crates are recorded for Handbags?

Donations sorted at the charity shop.

Clothes
January crates
59
March crates
12
Records
January crates
64
March crates
64
Handbags
January crates
28
March crates
43
Puzzles
January crates
68
March crates
61

Data table with columns Donation, January crates, March crates. Rows: Donation Clothes, January crates 59, March crates 12; Donation Records, January crates 64, March crates 64; Donation Handbags, January crates 28, March crates 43; Donation Puzzles, January crates 68, March crates 61.

Table columns: Donation, January crates, March crates. Rows: Clothes, 59, 12; Records, 64, 64; Handbags, 28, 43; Puzzles, 68, 61.

  1. 28
  2. 43
  3. 61
  4. 68

Answer: 28

How you get there

The Handbags row meets the January crates column at 28, which means 28 is the figure recorded for that one row and column - not a total of anything.

Why the other answers tempt

Each row holds more than one number, so the column heading matters.

If they are stuck, say this

Run your finger down the Donation column to Handbags, then straight across to the January crates column.

Now do it live in Table Reader

What this exercise is doing

Table Reader

How many packed lunches does this table show for Hazel in the Tuesday column? Choose the number, then tap the cell you took it from.

Run along the Hazel row until you reach the Tuesday column: the two meet at 16. Reading down instead of across lands on 4, which is a real cell of this table and the wrong one, and that swap is the slip worth naming out loud every time you use a table. Keep a finger on the row and a finger on the column and bring them together, rather than trusting your eye to stay level.

  1. Step 1. Read it. Choose the number the table shows.
  2. Step 2. Show where. Now tap the cell you read it from.

What to say if they get stuck

  1. Find the bar, row or slice the question names before you read anything. Getting the label right matters as much as the reading.
  2. The scale does not always count up in single steps. Work out what a single line is worth before you read anything off it.
  3. Keep your finger level as you slide from the board across to the scale. Drifting up or down by a line is the commonest slip there is.

Open Table Reader on its own page to share it

What usually goes wrong here

  • Swaps the named row and column.

This is the wrong answer 11+ papers are built to offer, so it is worth watching for directly: a child who does this will look confident and still lose the mark. If it keeps happening on read a table cell, the fix is the misunderstanding rather than more questions.

Where read a table cell sits in the 11+

The 11+ does not test these skills in isolation, and practising one in the wrong order wastes the practice. These are the skills the curriculum map connects this one to.

This opens up

Compare table values

A comparison requires accurate cell retrieval.

How read a table cell differs from the skills beside it

The same exercise practises one other skill, and telling them apart is often the difficulty rather than the exercise itself. On this page the skill is: find one value at a named row and column, and it stops where excludes calculation across cells.

Related maths skills

All maths 11+ skills

Questions parents ask about read a table cell

What this skill involves, common mistakes and ways to practise it at home.

Find one value at a named row and column. It is one of 55 named maths skills in the 11+, in the data strand, and this page carries 1 interactive exercise that practises it.

One wrong answer is a slip, the same wrong answer every time is a habit

A free diagnostic looks at which mistakes repeat across all four subjects, not just whether read a table cell was right on the day.