Grade 6 Order of Operations Worksheets (BODMAS/PEMDAS) — Custom PDF
By Grade 6, students are expected to evaluate multi-step numerical expressions confidently — the order of operations stops being new and becomes a tool they lean on when equations and algebra arrive. This page opens on brackets, so the priority rules and the left-to-right convention are locked in cleanly: choose Level 1 for a single set of brackets, Level 2 to add a third operation around it, or Level 3 for division with brackets, then set how many problems you want. The sub-skill cards beside it add whole-number powers, substituting a value for a letter, inserting a missing pair of brackets, brackets inside brackets, and finding the first wrong step in somebody else's working — one card each, so a student meets one new thing at a time.
Everything prints to a clean A4 or US Letter PDF, with an optional answer key on a separate page. Because the worksheet lives in its shareable link, a homework sheet set on Monday reproduces exactly for a re-test on Friday, and Shuffle generates a brand-new set at the same difficulty for the next round of practice.
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Order of Operations · Grade 6
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Grade 6 · 2 pages · A4More Grade 6 order of operations skills
Each one generates a different kind of question, with its own three levels and answer key.
- Brackets FirstWork out what is inside the brackets before you do anything else.
- Two OperationsNo brackets: decide whether to multiply, divide, add or subtract first.
- Brackets Inside BracketsMore than one set of brackets — start with the innermost pair and work out.
- Powers in ExpressionsSquares and cubes are worked out before multiplying, dividing, adding or subtracting.
- Insert the BracketsPut one pair of brackets into each expression so the answer shown is correct.
- Evaluate with a VariablePut the given value in place of the letter, then use the order of operations.
- Which Step Comes FirstName the part you would work out first — no need to finish the sum.
- Find the first wrong step (HOTQ)A worked answer with one wrong step in it. Find the first step that breaks the rule and write the step that belongs there.
What each level generates
Grade 6 brackets first — the exact skill behind each difficulty setting, straight from the generator.
- Level 1One bracket
- Level 2Bracket and a third step
- Level 3Brackets with division
Grade levels follow the progression common to most English-language curricula — not one specific national curriculum. Every level shows exactly what it generates, so you can check the fit with your own program. See the full scope & sequence →
Deepening the rule in Grade 6
Grade 6 treats the order of operations as settled knowledge and uses it to evaluate longer expressions and, soon after, expressions with variables. That makes accuracy with brackets and multi-step arithmetic matter more than raw speed. Level 3 of the Brackets First sheet — multi-step expressions with brackets and exact division — is the sweet spot for this year.
Many Grade 6 curricula introduce whole-number exponents alongside the order of operations, and these sheets do too, on their own card rather than mixed into the bracket work. Powers in Expressions moves from a bare square or cube with one more step, to a power buried in a longer chain, to a squared bracket — the step students actually trip on. Keeping the two apart is deliberate: it is far easier to see that a power is resolved first when nothing else is competing for attention, and far easier to master how brackets and the left-to-right rule interact when powers are not adding a second thing to track. Work the two cards separately here; Grade 7 is where they are put back together in one expression.
Multiplication and division are equal — so are addition and subtraction
The single most useful thing to teach in Grade 6 is that the acronym overstates itself. Multiplication does not outrank division, and addition does not outrank subtraction; each pair is worked left to right. So 24 ÷ 6 × 2 is 8 (do 24 ÷ 6 first, because it comes first), not 2, and 20 − 4 − 3 is 13, not 19.
Build this with mixed chains at Level 1 and Level 2 before moving on. Ask a student to number the steps in the order they will do them, then evaluate. Press Shuffle for a fresh set the moment a sheet is finished — same difficulty, new problems — so the reasoning gets rehearsed rather than a single answer memorised.
Frequently asked questions
▸What order of operations should a Grade 6 student know?
Confident evaluation of multi-step expressions with brackets: brackets first, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right. Grade 6 also meets whole-number exponents, and they have a sheet of their own here so the core rules and the powers can be practised one at a time.
▸Does multiplication always come before division?
No — this is the most common misconception. Multiplication and division share equal priority and are done left to right, so 24 ÷ 6 × 2 is 8, not 2. The same is true of addition and subtraction, which are also worked left to right.
▸Where are the exponents on these Grade 6 worksheets?
Mostly on their own sheet — the Powers in Expressions card — rather than mixed into the bracket work. That is a deliberate choice: mastering how brackets and the left-to-right rule interact is easier without powers adding a second layer, and a squared bracket is easier to see when the rest of the line is short. Once both are dependable, the Grade 7 sheets combine them.
▸Can I reuse the exact same worksheet for a re-test?
Yes. The worksheet is stored in its web address, so bookmarking or sharing the link reproduces the identical problems and answer key — ideal for a fair before-and-after comparison across a class.
▸What paper size and layout do these print on?
Choose A4 or US Letter in the controls; the preview and the downloaded PDF both reflow to the size you pick, and the answer key prints on its own final page.