Tutor Help: Order of Operations
Stuck on PEMDAS? Recap the ladder, try the self-help fixes, or preview a tutor request.
PEMDAS is a precedence ladder: grouping, exponents, ×/÷, +/−. Higher rungs always go first — the ladder never changes.
×/÷ form one rung and +/− form one rung: within a rung, go left to right. 12 ÷ 3 × 2 = 8, not 2.
Grouping symbols — including fraction bars — outrank everything and resolve inside-out. Parentheses are the only part of PEMDAS you control: add them to say exactly what you mean.
How to get unstuck in 5 minutes
- 1Re-read the lesson section that matches your problem.
- 2Work one practice problem with the hint turned on.
- 3Check your answer with the step-by-step tool.
- 4Still stuck? Use the demo request form below.
1 Quick self-help
Three fixes that solve most stuck moments.
Answer keeps coming out wrong?
Write the rung number above each operation before computing: 1 for grouping, 2 for exponents, 3 for ×/÷, 4 for +/−. Then do them in rung order.
Unsure about ÷ vs ×?
Same rung — leftmost wins. Cover the rest of the expression and ask: “of × and ÷, which appears first?” That one goes now.
Nested groups tangling?
Start at the innermost pair and work outward. Simplify each group to a single number before touching the outside.
2 Common questions
Short answers to the questions tutors hear most.
3 Ask a tutor
Describe where you are stuck. A tutor reply workflow is coming soon.