These order of operations worksheets with nested parentheses give students practice working through more complex expressions using PEMDAS. Each printable worksheet includes problems that feature two or more layers of parentheses, helping learners apply the order of operations.
These worksheets are well‑suited for upper‑elementary and middle‑school students, or for anyone ready to move beyond basic parentheses and strengthen their problem‑solving skills. Answer keys are included with every worksheet, making it simple for teachers, parents, tutors, and homeschool educators to check work or walk through each solution.
What is PEMDAS?
PEMDAS is the standard order of operations used in math: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.
Worksheet 1 Worksheet 2 Worksheet 3 Worksheet 4Developing a strong understanding of the order of operations is crucial for helping students solve math problems with accuracy and consistency. Using a defined sequence of steps allows students to solve expressions reliably to reach the correct answer.
Order of Operations (PEMDAS) Lesson
When evaluating mathematical expressions, use the order of operations to determine which calculations to perform first. The acronym PEMDAS serves as a simple way to remember the correct sequence and avoid common mistakes.
P – Parentheses: Solve anything inside parentheses or brackets first.
E – Exponents: Evaluate powers or square roots next.
M/D – Multiplication and Division: Work from left to right.
A/S – Addition and Subtraction: Work from left to right.
Example: Evaluate [8 x (9 – 1)] – 16 x 2 + 5
Brackets are often used with nested parentheses but follow the same rules.
Evaluate the expression in the innermost parentheses first.
[8 x (9 – 1)] – 16 x 2 + 5 ➜ [8 x (8)] – 16 x 2 + 5
Evaluate the expression in the remaining parentheses.
(8 x 8) – 16 x 2 + 5 ➜ (64) – 16 x 2 + 5
Multiply (and divide if present) from left to right.
64 – 16 x 2 + 5 ➜ 64 – 32 + 5
Add and subtract from left to right.
64 – 32 + 5 ➜ 32 + 5 ➜ 37
For more practice using PEMDAS, we have additional worksheets using only a single set of parentheses in the expressions.
For more practice or help with other pre-algebra topics, try our workbooks.
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