01 Key Concepts
PEMDAS
Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (left to right), Addition and Subtraction (left to right) — the standard order for evaluating expressions.
Parentheses First
Always simplify everything inside parentheses (or other grouping symbols) before anything else.
Exponents Next
After parentheses, evaluate any exponents (powers) in the expression.
Multiplication and Division Together
These are done left to right, in the order they appear — multiplication is not automatically done before division.
Addition and Subtraction Together
Like multiplication/division, these are also done left to right, in the order they appear.
02 Key Formulas
- PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply/Divide (left to right), Add/Subtract (left to right)
03 Solved Examples
Example 1 Evaluate 3 + 4 x 2.
- Multiplication happens before addition.
- 4 x 2 = 8.
- 3 + 8.
Answer: 11
Example 2 Evaluate (3 + 4) x 2.
- Parentheses first: 3 + 4 = 7.
- Then multiply: 7 x 2.
Answer: 14
Example 3 Evaluate 2 + 3^2 x 2.
- Exponents first: 3^2 = 9.
- Then multiplication: 9 x 2 = 18.
- Then addition: 2 + 18.
Answer: 20
04 Practice Questions
1Evaluate 5 + 2 x 3.
11
2Evaluate (5 + 2) x 3.
21
3Evaluate 10 - 4 / 2.
8
4Evaluate 2^3 + 1.
9
5Evaluate 6 x 2 - 4.
8
📄 Order of Operations — Downloadable Worksheet
10 questions with a full answer key. Grab the PDF to print, or try the interactive version in your browser.