Order of operations word problems worksheet
Twenty-four word problems about shopping, sharing, seats, areas and volumes. Children write one expression for each story, then work it out.
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Order of operations word problems worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 24 questions on order of operations word problems, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grades 5–6, matching Common Core 5.OA.A.2, 6.EE.A.2
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- A teacher buys 5 boxes of 12 pencils and 8 loose pencils. How many pencils?
- Ava has 24 stickers and gets 16 more. She shares them equally among 4 friends. How many each?
- Leo has $50. He buys 3 books at $12 each. How much money is left?
- Each of 4 friends buys a $5 sandwich and a $2 drink. What do they spend in all?
- A cube has edges of 3 cm. What is its volume, minus a 2 cm³ hollow?
- A cinema has 12 rows of 20 seats. 175 seats are sold. How many are empty?
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new order of operations word problems worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh order of operations word problems worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose how many questions, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
Order of operations word problems: a worked example (Ava has 24 stickers and gets 16 more. She shares them equally among 4 friends.)
- The adding happens before the sharing, so it needs brackets: (24 + 16) ÷ 4.
- Brackets first: 24 + 16 = 40.
- Then divide: 40 ÷ 4 = 10 stickers each.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Questions 1 to 12 are one or two steps for grade 5. Questions 13 to 24 add areas, volumes and two-step sharing for grade 6, and number 24 is a stretch. Read each story aloud and ask: “What happens first in the story?” If that step is + or −, it needs brackets. The word problems lesson has more stories with worked answers. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Writing 24 + 16 ÷ 4, which gives 28 because the division is done first.
- Splitting the story into separate sums instead of one expression.
- Using + for “left” instead of −.
- Forgetting the units, like $ or cm², in the final answer.
What to practice before and after order of operations word problems
- Before: order of operations with fractions and decimals. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: solving equations, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the order of operations word problems lesson.
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Questions parents ask
How do you write an expression for a word problem?
Find what happens first in the story and write it first. If that step is addition or subtraction but the next step is × or ÷, put brackets round it.
What grade is this order of operations word problems worksheet for?
It is written for grades 5–6 and matches Common Core standards 5.OA.A.2, 6.EE.A.2.
Can I get a different version of this order of operations word problems worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new order of operations word problems worksheet with different numbers every time. You choose how many questions, and every version comes with its own answer key.