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This topic covers the correct order of operations (BIDMAS) to evaluate calculations involving brackets, indices, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. It's examined right across GCSE and iGCSE Maths. Learn it free on eClassroom through guided worked examples and instantly-marked exam-style questions.
How you do it
Work through brackets first, then indices, then multiplication and division together from left to right, then addition and subtraction together from left to right. The pairs matter: division does not automatically come after multiplication, you take them in the order they appear.
Before you start
Before starting, revisit the four operations. Expect to use it again in algebraic substitution and formula work. It appears at Foundation and Higher tier.
What you learn
When a calculation mixes operations, the order you work in changes the answer. BIDMAS gives you the correct order every time. Scan for brackets and indices first, then sweep × and ÷ left to right, and finally + and − left to right. The course works through BIDMAS, brackets and indices and putting it together. Every section has instant-feedback practice questions matched to Edexcel iGCSE 4MA1 and the other major GCSE boards, and the course finishes with full exam-style questions you mark yourself.
Related Topics
In our GCSE maths courses, Order of Operations belongs to Number and is met in Foundation tier. There are 3 teaching sections and 2 fully worked examples, plus 3 sets of check questions. Nearby topics in the same strand are Ordering & Place Value, Percentages, Powers & Roots and Primes, Factors & Multiples. You can drill this strand further on the Number revision engine, with your accuracy saved to your skill tree.
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