Order of Operations Practice
20 questions · 60 seconds · multi-step expressions
Free · no login · instant feedback on every answer
Train the rule that makes everyone agree on an answer: the order of operations. Each question is a short multi-step expression — parentheses, multiplication, addition, subtraction — evaluated against the clock with instant feedback.
PEMDAS errors are sneaky because the wrong answer still feels computed: 3 + 4 × 2 becomes 14 instead of 11 the moment a student works left-to-right. Repetition with immediate correction is what turns the rule from a mnemonic into a reflex.
Tips That Make It Stick
- Multiplication and division are equals. So are addition and subtraction. Within each pair, work left to right — PEMDAS is four levels, not six steps.
- Scan before you compute. Find the parentheses first, then the multiplications, and only then start calculating. Planning beats diving in.
- Rewrite as you go. On paper, evaluate one operation per line: 3 + 4 × 2 → 3 + 8 → 11. One step per line leaves nowhere for order errors to hide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PEMDAS stand for?
Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (left to right), Addition and Subtraction (left to right). The pairs matter: multiplication does not outrank division, nor addition subtraction.
What is 3 + 4 × 2?
11 — multiplication happens before addition, so 4 × 2 = 8 first, then 3 + 8 = 11. Working left-to-right to get 14 is the classic order-of-operations error.
What grade learns order of operations?
The order of operations is introduced in 5th grade with parentheses and the four operations, and expands in 6th grade with exponents. It remains essential through algebra.
📝 Matching Printable Worksheets
Prefer paper practice? These free PDF worksheets cover the same skill — each includes an answer key: