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Year 5 Maths

Order of Operations

Learn the rules that tell us which part of a maths problem to solve first using BODMAS (or BIDMAS).

What is BODMAS?

When a maths problem has more than one operation (like adding and multiplying), we need rules to decide what to do first. BODMAS tells us the correct order.

B

Brackets

O

Orders (powers)

D

Division

M

Multiplication

A

Addition

S

Subtraction

Remember: Division & Multiplication are equal (left to right). Addition & Subtraction are equal (left to right).

Tip: Some people say BIDMAS instead — the I stands for “Indices” which means the same as “Orders” (powers like 2² or 3³).

Brackets First!

Always solve what is inside brackets ( ) before anything else. Brackets are like a VIP pass — they jump to the front of the queue.

Example: 3 × (4 + 2)

Step 1: Brackets first → 4 + 2 = 6

Step 2: Then multiply → 3 × 6 = 18

Answer: 18

Common mistake: Without brackets, 3 × 4 + 2 = 12 + 2 = 14 (multiply first, then add). The brackets change the answer!

Worked Examples

1

Solve: 8 + 4 × 3

Step 1: No brackets. Multiplication before addition.

Step 2: 4 × 3 = 12

Step 3: 8 + 12 = 20

Answer: 20 (not 36!)

2

Solve: (10 − 3) × 2 + 5

Step 1: Brackets: 10 − 3 = 7

Step 2: Multiply: 7 × 2 = 14

Step 3: Add: 14 + 5 = 19

Answer: 19

3

Solve: 20 ÷ 4 + 3 × 2

Step 1: No brackets. Division and multiplication first (left to right).

Step 2: 20 ÷ 4 = 5

Step 3: 3 × 2 = 6

Step 4: 5 + 6 = 11

Answer: 11

Think of it Like a Funnel

1st — Brackets ( )
2nd — Orders (powers)
3rd — × and ÷
4th — + and −

Work from the top down. If two operations are on the same level, go left to right.

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Questions get harder as you go!

Question 1

Solve: 3 + 5 × 2

Question 2

Solve: 12 ÷ 4 + 1

Question 3

Solve: (2 + 6) × 3

Question 4

Solve: 10 − 2 × 3 + 1

Question 5

Solve: 18 ÷ (2 + 4)

Question 6

Solve: 5 × 4 − 12 ÷ 3

Question 7

Which operation should you do first in: 6 + (9 − 5) × 2?

Question 8

Solve: (3 + 7) × (10 − 6)

Question 9

Solve: 2 × (15 − 3 × 4) + 6

Question 10

Solve: 100 ÷ (5 × 4) + 3 × (8 − 6)

Key Concepts Summary