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Study GuideYear 6Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 6 Order of Operations (BODMAS)

Explains the BODMAS rule Year 6 students use to work out calculations with more than one operation: brackets first, then orders (powers), then division and multiplication left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right. Four fully worked examples target the tie-break rule that causes most errors.

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Year
Year 6
Subject
Mathematics
Topic
Order of Operations
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
15 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Answers
Not applicable
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practise

  • understanding what each letter of BODMAS stands for
  • understanding that division and multiplication (and addition and subtraction) are worked left to right
  • evaluating expressions with brackets and powers
  • spotting when brackets change the answer

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Order of Operations (BODMAS)

  1. 1Year 6 Order of Operations (BODMAS) Worksheet — Level 1
  2. 2Year 6 Ratio Worksheet — Level 1
Study guide

How to use this study guide

  1. Read it together first, pausing at each worked example to try the step before reading the answer.
  2. Attempt the "Check yourself" questions at the end without looking back.
  3. Then practise with a worksheet from the pathway above and finish with the topic test.

Common questions

Who is this study guide for?

Year 6 students (typically ages 11–12) working on order of operations. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

This is a study guide, so there is no separate answer sheet; the 'Check yourself' questions include answers.

How long does it take?

About 15 minutes. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Year 6 Order of Operations (BODMAS) Worksheet — Level 1.

Preview

Year 6 · Mathematics · Order of Operations

Order of Operations (BODMAS)

Success Tutoring

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What you need to know

When a calculation has more than one operation, everyone needs to do it in the same order or we would get different answers. That order is called BODMAS: Brackets, Orders, Division and Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction. Some schools say BIDMAS or BEDMAS (the I or E stands for indices or exponents). It is the same rule.

LetterMeaningExample
BBrackets first(2 + 3) × 4 = 5 × 4 = 20
OOrders: powers and square roots32 = 9, so 32 + 1 = 10
D and MDivision and multiplication, left to right12 ÷ 3 × 2 = 4 × 2 = 8
A and SAddition and subtraction, left to right10 − 4 + 3 = 6 + 3 = 9

The most important detail: D and M are a tie, and A and S are a tie. Division does not beat multiplication and addition does not beat subtraction. When you reach that level, simply work from left to right.

7 + 3 × 4

  1. No brackets, no powers. Multiplication comes before addition.
  2. 3 × 4 = 12.
  3. 7 + 12 = 19. (Not 40: you do not add first just because the + comes first.)

(7 + 3) × 4

  1. Brackets first: 7 + 3 = 10.
  2. 10 × 4 = 40.
  3. Same numbers as the last example, but the brackets change the answer.

20 − 8 ÷ 2 + 32

  1. Orders first: 32 = 9. The expression becomes 20 − 8 ÷ 2 + 9.
  2. Division next: 8 ÷ 2 = 4. Now it is 20 − 4 + 9.
  3. Addition and subtraction, left to right: 20 − 4 = 16, then 16 + 9 = 25.

36 ÷ (4 + 2) × 3

  1. Brackets first: 4 + 2 = 6. Now it is 36 ÷ 6 × 3.
  2. Division and multiplication are a tie, so go left to right: 36 ÷ 6 = 6.
  3. Then 6 × 3 = 18. (Not 36 ÷ 18 = 2, which is what you get if you multiply first.)
Common mistake: doing all the multiplication before any division, or all the addition before any subtraction. 36 ÷ 6 × 3 = 18, not 2, and 10 − 4 + 3 = 9, not 3. Ties are worked left to right.
Common mistake: adding brackets that are not there. 7 + 3 × 4 = 19. If the question wanted 40, it would have been written (7 + 3) × 4.

Check yourself

  1. 5 + 6 × 2 = ?
  2. (5 + 6) × 2 = ?
  3. 24 ÷ 6 × 2 = ?
  4. 18 − 2 × 3 + 4 = ?
  5. 42 − (9 − 5) × 2 = ?
  6. 50 − (3 + 2)2 ÷ 5 = ?

Answers: 1. 17 2. 22 3. 8 (24 ÷ 6 = 4, then 4 × 2) 4. 16 (18 − 6 + 4) 5. 8 (16 − 4 × 2 = 16 − 8) 6. 45 (50 − 25 ÷ 5 = 50 − 5)

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More Year 6 order of operations resources

  • Worksheet

    Year 6 Order of Operations (BODMAS) Worksheet — Level 1

    Evaluate expressions using the correct order of operations. Builds confidence with the core skill before adding complexity. This Year 6…

    Difficulty
    Level 1 · Easier
    Time
    15 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

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