BODMAS and order of operations practice
BODMAS (or BIDMAS) is the order to do a calculation in: Brackets, Orders (powers), Division and Multiplication, then Addition and Subtraction. Noggli practises it from 8 + 9 × 8 up to brackets and squares.
What your child practises
- Year 6multiply before adding
- Year 6brackets first
- Year 6combine two operations with the correct priority
- Year 6order of operations with brackets and squares
Mix-ups Noggli looks out for
- Works left to right instead of multiplying or dividing first
What BODMAS means
Brackets first, then powers and squares, then multiplying and dividing (left to right), then adding and subtracting (left to right). So 8 + 9 × 8 is 8 + 72 = 80, not 17 × 8 = 136.
Division and multiplication have the same priority, and so do addition and subtraction. Within each pair you work left to right.
Why it matters in Year 6
Order of operations is in the Year 6 curriculum and turns up in SATs arithmetic papers. It also matters in secondary school algebra, so it is worth getting secure.
Helping at home
- Underline the part to do first before working anything out.
- Rewrite the calculation after each step so nothing gets lost.
- Try both orders and talk about which answer is right and why.
Made for children who worry about getting it wrong
A clue, not a cross
A wrong answer gets a clue and another go. A second miss shows how it works, step by step.
No clock
Nothing counts down. Confidence first, speed follows on its own.
The right level
After a few questions Noggli knows where your child is, and every question after that adapts.
Related practice
Questions parents ask
What does BODMAS stand for?
Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. Some schools say BIDMAS, where I stands for Indices. They mean the same thing.
Is 8 + 9 × 8 equal to 80 or 136?
80. Multiplication comes before addition, so 9 × 8 = 72 first, then 8 + 72 = 80. Working left to right gives 136, which is the most common slip.
What year do children learn order of operations?
Year 6. Children use their knowledge of the order of operations to carry out calculations involving all four operations.
Practise this every day, at the right level
Noggli works out where your child is in every topic and adjusts each question to suit. Free, with no timers, no scores and no child accounts.