Home / Lessons / GCSE Revision / Mathematics

BODMAS

Author: John Pilkington
What BODMAS means
BODMAS is a very useful word, as it can help you remember the order in which calculations should be done. To see if it can help you, try the following problem.

Now, if you answered correctly, well done - though you should still read on. If you answered incorrectly, you definitely need BODMAS. If you are still not convinced, use your calculator to check the answer before you proceed any further.

BODMAS is an acronym - that is, a word made up of the initial letters of other words. This is what it means.

If you learn this word and apply it correctly, you should have very few problems with calculations.

Worked examples

  1. What is 4 + 3 × 2?

    Using BODMAS, start with the multiplication
    4 + 6

    Finally, the addition
    10

  2. What is 4 × 2 + 32 - 5?

    Start with the squaring
    32 = 9
    So rewrite as 4 × 2 + 9 - 5

    Now the multiplication
    8 + 9 - 5

    Next, the addition
    17 - 5

    Finally, the subtraction
    12

  3. What is (6 - 2)2 + 5 - 8?

    Start with the brackets
    42 + 5 - 8

    Next, do the squaring
    16 + 5 - 8

    Now the addition
    21 - 8

    Finally, the subtraction
    13

$$ADVERTORIAL_FUNCTION_4$$