Order of operations practice
Free order of operations practice: pick a skill and answer 10 questions, marked as you go, with every step shown when an answer is wrong.
🧒 Kids: pick a skill, work it out and tap Check ✓! Brackets first, then powers, then × and ÷, then + and −.
Ready-made practice rounds: 13 skills by grade
| Skill | What your child does | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Two operations | 3 + 4 × 2: × before +. | 5 |
| Left to right | 12 ÷ 3 × 2 and 10 − 4 + 3. | 5 |
| Which step first? | Tap the part you work out first. | 5 |
| True or false | Is 15 + 5 × 2 = 40? Spot the mistake. | 5 |
| Parentheses | (3 + 4) × 2 and 20 − (6 + 5). | 5 |
| Nested brackets | 2 × [3 + (8 − 2)] and { }. | 5 |
| Where do the brackets go? | Make 5 + 3 × 4 equal 32. | 5 |
| Write the expression | “Add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2.” | 5 |
| Word problems | One expression for a two-step story. | 5–6 |
| Exponents | 2 × 3², (4 + 1)² and 5³ + 2. | 6 |
| Three or more steps | (5 + 3 × 8) ÷ 2 − 4. | 6 |
| Decimals | 1.5 + 2.5 × 4. | 6–7 |
| Negative numbers | −3 + 4 × 2 and (−6)² − 4. | 7 |
Each link opens the practice tool on that skill, so you can bookmark or share the one your child needs.
How to use the order of operations practice
- Pick a skill. If you are not sure, start with two operations and move down the table as each one gets easy.
- Work it out. Type the answer, or tap one of the choices. On a phone, a number pad appears below, with a minus key and a decimal point.
- Read the steps when an answer is wrong. The hint works the expression out one step at a time and names the rule used at each step.
- Check the stars. 8 or more out of 10 means the skill is secure. The results list the questions to practice again.
The rules in one line
Brackets, then exponents, then multiply and divide from left to right, then add and subtract from left to right. In the US this is PEMDAS. In India and the UK it is BODMAS or BIDMAS. The rules are the same.
The one children miss most is “left to right”. Multiplication does not always come before division: they have the same rank. So 12 ÷ 3 × 2 = 4 × 2 = 8. In the same way, 10 − 4 + 3 = 9, not 3.
How answers are marked
Answers are marked by value, so −4 and -4 both count, and 2.5 and 2.50 are the same. Word problems need one number, the final answer.
Which step first, true or false, where the brackets go and writing expressions use big buttons with choices instead of a box.
A sensible order for practice
The order of operations builds over three years. This order follows the US Common Core and the NCERT books:
- Two operations and left to right (grade 5): × and ÷ before + and −, and same-rank operations from the left.
- Parentheses and nested brackets (grade 5, 5.OA.A.1): work from the inside out.
- Writing expressions and word problems (grade 5, 5.OA.A.2): put brackets where the story says “first”.
- Exponents and longer expressions (grade 6, 6.EE.A.1): powers come straight after brackets. The order of operations calculator shows every step.
- Decimals and negative numbers (grade 7): the same rules, harder numbers.
When a skill won’t stick
- Working left to right every time: ask “is there a × or ÷?” before anything else. Underline it first.
- Doing all multiplication before division: they are partners. Go left to right through × and ÷ together.
- Squaring the wrong number: in 2 × 3², only the 3 is squared. 2 × 9 = 18, not 6² = 36.
- Losing track in long expressions: rewrite the whole line after each step, as the hints do.
A 10-minute routine
- Minutes 1–2: say the order out loud: brackets, powers, times and divide, add and subtract.
- Minutes 3–8: one round of 10 questions on the current skill.
- Minutes 9–10: check one hard question in the calculator and compare the steps.
Order of operations by grade
| Grade | What children practice | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | Two-step word problems; the order of a calculation matters | 3.OA.D.8 |
| Grade 5 | Brackets and braces, writing and reading expressions | 5.OA.A.1, 5.OA.A.2 |
| Grade 6 | Exponents and expressions with variables | 6.EE.A.1, 6.EE.A.2c |
| Grade 7 | Negative numbers, fractions and decimals | 7.NS.A.3 |
In India, the class 7 chapter “Arithmetic Expressions” covers brackets and the order of operations.
For parents and teachers in the classroom
- Share a skill: add ?skill=two, ltr, first, tf, par, nest, ins, write, word, exp, mix, dec or int to the address.
- Projector friendly: large expressions and big answer buttons work well for a whole-class warm-up.
- Private by design: no account and nothing stored online.
More order of operations help
- Order of operations practice: 10 questions on any of 13 skills, marked as you go.
- Order of operations calculator: type any expression and see every step, with the rule used.
- Order of operations with integers: the same rules with negative numbers.
- Evaluating expressions: the order of operations with letters, like 3n² − 2.
- Worksheets: order of operations worksheet · with exponents · BODMAS worksheet · make a fresh test
Back to order of operations for kids · exponents · 5th grade math · 6th grade math
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Questions parents ask
How can my child practice the order of operations online for free?
Use the practice tool at the top of this page. Pick a skill, such as parentheses or exponents, and answer 10 questions one at a time. Every answer is marked straight away, and a wrong answer shows each step.
Which order of operations skill should my child start with?
Start with two operations, like 3 + 4 × 2, then left to right and which step first. Parentheses and exponents come next, then three or more steps.
What grade practices the order of operations?
Grade 5 uses brackets and writes simple expressions (5.OA.A.1 and 5.OA.A.2). Grade 6 adds exponents (6.EE.A.1). Grade 7 uses the same rules with negative numbers and decimals.
Is PEMDAS the same as BODMAS?
Yes. Both mean brackets first, then powers, then × and ÷ from left to right, then + and − from left to right. Only the names of the letters differ.
Can teachers use this practice in class?
Yes. Link to a skill with ?skill= at the end of the address, for example /order-of-operations/practice/?skill=par. Every child gets their own random questions, and nothing needs a login.
Do the questions repeat?
No. Every round makes new random questions, so the same skill can be practiced again and again.