Grade 5Mathhard
Order of Operations
Order of Operations — Order of Operations worksheet for Grade 5.
Download Free PDF
No signup required — instant download
mathorder-of-operationsG5hard
Worksheet Preview
What Your Child Will Learn
- Apply the complete order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS) to solve multi-step expressions containing parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction
- Evaluate expressions with multiple levels of parentheses and nested operations, recognizing when to work from the innermost parentheses outward
- Solve complex word problems by translating them into expressions and correctly applying order of operations to find the solution
- Identify and correct errors in order of operations by analyzing step-by-step work and explaining why incorrect sequences lead to wrong answers
How to Use This Worksheet
- Step 1: Review the PEMDAS/BODMAS acronym with your student and write it visibly nearby (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication & Division left to right, Addition & Subtraction left to right). Have your student repeat the order aloud before starting.
- Step 2: Work through the first problem together as a model. Physically point to or underline each operation as you identify its priority level, and show how you rewrite the expression after completing each step. This demonstrates the process before independent work.
- Step 3: Have your student tackle problems 2-4 with you nearby for guidance, but encourage them to identify the order themselves. Ask: 'What do we do first?' and 'What operation comes next?' rather than telling them directly.
- Step 4: After completing problems 2-4, review their work together, checking not just the final answer but each intermediate step. If an answer is incorrect, have them walk you through their thinking to pinpoint where the order of operations was misapplied.
- Step 5: Allow your student to work independently on problems 5-10. Encourage them to write out each step clearly rather than computing mentally. When finished, review together, focusing on any problems where the order of operations was incorrectly applied, and discuss what they'll do differently next time.
Tips for Parents & Teachers
Many Grade 5 students rush through expressions and forget that division and multiplication have equal priority and must be worked left to right, just like addition and subtraction. Emphasize that PEMDAS doesn't mean multiplication always comes before division—teach students to scan left to right for whichever operation appears first after handling parentheses and exponents.
Use color-coding or underlining strategies to help students track which operations they've completed. Have them rewrite the expression after each step, showing the simplification. This prevents the common mistake of losing track of numbers and accidentally skipping steps.
For the harder problems on this worksheet that include exponents, explicitly review that exponents must be evaluated before any multiplication or division. Practice a few examples where students calculate 2³ before multiplying it by another number, as this is a frequent error point.
Work through one problem aloud together, verbalizing each decision: 'I see parentheses first, so I'll solve what's inside. Next, I look for exponents. Then I scan left to right for multiplication and division.' This metacognitive approach helps students internalize the sequence rather than memorizing it mechanically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my student's answers to order of operations problems keep coming out wrong even though they seem to understand the concept?
This is often because students skip steps or try to simplify too much at once in their heads. Grade 5 students, especially with hard-level problems, need to write out every single step as they go. Encourage your student to rewrite the entire expression after completing each operation—don't skip steps even if they think they can do it mentally. This prevents careless errors and helps you both identify exactly where mistakes happen.
My student keeps doing multiplication before division, even though I've told them they're equal priority. How do I fix this?
This is extremely common because PEMDAS makes it sound like multiplication comes before division. Instead, teach it as: after parentheses and exponents, scan the expression from left to right and do whichever of multiplication or division appears first. Practice with examples like 12 ÷ 2 × 3 (answer: 18, not 2) where division comes first. Having them physically point to or circle the leftmost multiplication or division operation helps make this concrete.
Should my Grade 5 student be able to handle expressions with multiple sets of parentheses at this difficulty level?
Yes, hard-level Grade 5 order of operations worksheets typically include nested or multiple parentheses. Teach your student to work from the innermost parentheses outward. For example, in 5 + (3 × (2 + 1)), solve the innermost parentheses first (2 + 1 = 3), then the next level (3 × 3 = 9), then finally the outer addition (5 + 9 = 14). Breaking it into layers prevents overwhelm.
How important are exponents at the Grade 5 order of operations level, and should they cause major difficulty?
Related Worksheets
More Math Worksheets
Related Articles
How to Teach Fractions to Kids: A Parent's Complete Guide
Learn how to teach fractions to kids in grades 2–5 with proven strategies, visual models, and hands-on methods that build real understanding — not just memorized rules.
How to Teach Ratios and Proportions: A Middle School Parent's Guide
Learn how to teach ratios and proportions to middle schoolers with step-by-step strategies, real-world examples, and hands-on activities for grades 6–8.
How to Teach Geometry to Kids: Angles, Shapes, and Lines
A practical parent guide to teaching geometry from kindergarten through 8th grade — covering shapes, angles, lines, and symmetry with hands-on activities and free worksheets.
Get Free Worksheets in Your Inbox
Subscribe for new worksheets and homeschool tips. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.