Super Awesome Math

Order of Operations Worksheets

Which operation comes first · Grades 2–3

Multi-step expressions where the answer depends on doing the operations in the right order: multiplication and division before addition and subtraction, and brackets before either. Three levels run from chains of one kind (25 − 14 + 43) through mixed precedence (70 − 7 × 9) to four-term expressions with brackets (38 − (80 − 76) × 7). Every step lands on a whole number between 2 and 100, division is always exact, and the answer boxes show how many digits to expect.

Skills: order of operations, brackets, mental arithmetic, multi-step problems. Format: printable, randomized on every load.

Frequently asked questions
What is the order of operations?
Work out anything in brackets first, then all the multiplication and division from left to right, then the addition and subtraction from left to right. It is a convention rather than a discovery: everyone agrees to read 70 − 7 × 9 the same way, so the expression has one answer instead of two.
Why does my child get 567 for 70 − 7 × 9?
Because they worked strictly left to right: 70 − 7 is 63, and 63 × 9 is 567. The correct reading multiplies first, giving 70 − 63 = 7. This is the single most common mistake on these sheets, and the fastest cure is asking a child to underline the multiplication before they write anything.
What do the brackets change?
Brackets promote whatever is inside them to the front of the queue. 30 − 17 + 9 is 22, but 30 − (17 + 9) is 4, because the bracket makes the addition happen first. Every bracket on these sheets changes the answer, so none of them can be safely ignored.
Why does each answer have a row of boxes?
There is one box per digit of the answer, so a child can see whether they are looking for a single digit, a number in the tens, or one in the hundreds. It is a checking aid rather than a hint at the value: an answer that will not fit the boxes is a signal to go back and look at the order again.

Settings
  • Level: easy, medium or hard
  • Notation: × ÷ or · : signs
  • Columns: 1 or 2 per page
  • Use brackets, or leave them out
  • Print an answer key

Example problems
  • 25 − 14 + 43 = □□
  • 30 − (17 + 9) = □
  • 70 − 7 × 9 = □
  • 28 + 12 ÷ 2 = □□

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