# BIDMAS

The order you work through a calculation: Brackets, Indices (powers), Division and Multiplication, then Addition and Subtraction.

Maths (school) · Part 01: Number and ratio · Card 1 of 9 · Last updated 2026-10-19

## Analogy

Like a recipe: you cannot ice the cake before you bake it.

## Example

**Order matters**

3 + 4 x 2^2
= 3 + 4 x 4
= 3 + 16
= 19

## In practice

Calculators follow BIDMAS, so typing 3 + 4 x 2 gives 11, not 14.

## Practice

### Flashcards

- **In BIDMAS, what is 3 + 4 x 2?** 11. Multiply first (4 x 2 = 8), then add 3.

## Questions people ask

### Do multiplication or division come first in BIDMAS?

Neither one is first. Division and multiplication have equal rank, so you work through them from left to right. The same goes for addition and subtraction. For 12 / 3 x 2, you divide first to get 4, then multiply to get 8.

### What does the I in BIDMAS stand for?

The I stands for indices, which means powers such as squares and cubes. They come after brackets and before division and multiplication. In 2 + 3^2 you work out 3^2 = 9 first, so the answer is 11, not 25.

## Related concepts

- [Adding fractions](https://studyvisually.com/learn/science/maths-school/maths-school-part-1/maths-school-part-1-concept-2)
- [Percentage of an amount](https://studyvisually.com/learn/science/maths-school/maths-school-part-1/maths-school-part-1-concept-3)
- [Percentage change](https://studyvisually.com/learn/science/maths-school/maths-school-part-1/maths-school-part-1-concept-4)
- [Laws of indices](https://studyvisually.com/learn/science/maths-school/maths-school-part-1/maths-school-part-1-concept-7)

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