Primary 6 · Mathematics · Order of Operations
Order of Operations questions for Primary 6 Maths
10 questions to work through online. Answer and you get the working straight away, then a score at the end. No sign-up, and you can retake it as often as you like.
- Multiplication before addition
- Brackets first
- Division before subtraction
- Mixed operations
- Brackets and division
- Nested brackets
- Division and multiplication
- Brackets with mixed operations
- Missing brackets
- All four operations
Answers and explanations for all 10 questions
Every answer with the reasoning behind it. Worth reading after you have tried the set — or on its own, if you are a parent marking it.
9 + 6 × 4 = ?
Answer: 33
Multiplication comes first: 6 × 4 = 24, then 9 + 24 = 33.
(18 − 6) × 5 = ?
Answer: 60
Brackets first: 18 − 6 = 12, then 12 × 5 = 60.
56 − 24 ÷ 6 = ?
Answer: 52
Division comes first: 24 ÷ 6 = 4, then 56 − 4 = 52.
7 × 8 − 6 × 5 = ?
Answer: 26
Both multiplications first: 7 × 8 = 56 and 6 × 5 = 30, then 56 − 30 = 26.
48 ÷ (3 + 5) = ?
Answer: 6
Brackets first: 3 + 5 = 8, then 48 ÷ 8 = 6.
4 × (15 − (6 + 2)) = ?
Answer: 28
Innermost brackets first: 6 + 2 = 8, then 15 − 8 = 7, then 4 × 7 = 28.
36 ÷ 4 × 3 = ?
Answer: 27
Multiplication and division are equal, so work left to right: 36 ÷ 4 = 9, then 9 × 3 = 27.
5 + 3 × (12 − 4) = ?
Answer: 29
Brackets first: 12 − 4 = 8, then 3 × 8 = 24, then 5 + 24 = 29.
Where should a pair of brackets go so that 24 − 8 ÷ 2 + 4 = 12?
Answer: (24 − 8) ÷ 2 + 4
(24 − 8) ÷ 2 + 4 = 16 ÷ 2 + 4 = 8 + 4 = 12.
20 + 16 ÷ 4 − 3 × 2 = ?
Answer: 18
Division and multiplication first: 16 ÷ 4 = 4 and 3 × 2 = 6, then 20 + 4 − 6 = 18.