Multiplying a 2 digit number may result in a 3-digit answer. As in column addition, this means that pupils will have to carry a digit into a column that, for them, doesn’t currently exist!

In this calculation, multiplying the 8 in the tens column by 3 gives an answer of 24 which has been recorded correctly with a 2 being carried into the next (hundreds) column. Because there are no digits in this hundreds column in the calculation, a pupil may need reminding that the calculation is not yet finished, as something has to be done with the carried 2 hundred. As there are no other hundreds to multiply, the 2 can be simply written into the answer.