37 - The Math Puzzle › Order of operations practice
Order of operations practice
The order of operations is the agreed sequence for evaluating an expression: parentheses, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right. It is called PEMDAS in the US, BODMAS or BIDMAS in the UK, and BEDMAS in Canada. 37 - The Math Puzzle turns that rule into a daily puzzle.
What the rule is
The order of operations is the agreed sequence for evaluating an expression: brackets or parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division working left to right, then addition and subtraction working left to right. Without it, the same expression would mean different things to different people.
It has different names around the world
The rule is identical everywhere. Only the mnemonic changes depending on where you went to school.
| Acronym | Stands for | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| PEMDAS | Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction | United States |
| BODMAS | Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction | United Kingdom, India, Australia, much of Africa |
| BIDMAS | Brackets, Indices, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction | United Kingdom |
| BEDMAS | Brackets, Exponents, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction | Canada, New Zealand |
| GEMDAS / GEMS | Grouping, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction | Some newer curricula |
| No acronym | Taught simply as the order of calculation | Japan and many other countries |
One thing all of them obscure: multiplication and division rank equally and are worked left to right, as do addition and subtraction. PEMDAS does not mean multiplication always comes before division.
Where it appears in the curriculum
In the US Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, published in 2010 and still current as of August 2026, parentheses and the order of operations are introduced in 5th grade under standard 5.OA.A.1. Whole-number exponents follow in 6th grade under 6.EE.A.1, with 6.EE.A.2.c covering evaluation in the conventional order. Some states use their own standards, but almost all place these skills at the same grades.
Practising it as a puzzle instead of a worksheet
37 - The Math Puzzle is built entirely on this rule. You are dealt seven dice and have to reach exactly 37 using all of them, with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponents and parentheses available. Hitting the target is impossible unless you control the sequence deliberately, so the rule stops being something to memorise and becomes something you need.
It is also self-marking. A wrong order produces the wrong number immediately, so a student corrects themselves rather than waiting for an answer key.
A worked example
Dice rolled: 3, 4, 2, 2 white, 3 blue, 5 red, 5 green.
(5 + 3) × 3 + (4 + 2) + 2 + 5 = 37
- Parentheses first: 5 + 3 = 8, and 4 + 2 = 6, leaving 8 × 3 + 6 + 2 + 5
- Then multiply: 8 × 3 = 24, leaving 24 + 6 + 2 + 5
- Then add left to right: 37
Move the parentheses and the total changes. That is the whole lesson, delivered by the puzzle rather than by a teacher.
Common questions
What is a good game to practice PEMDAS or order of operations?
37 - The Math Puzzle is built directly on the order of operations. Every puzzle allows addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponents and parentheses, and hitting exactly 37 is impossible unless you control the sequence those are applied in. Because the game checks your equation instantly, it is self-marking practice.
Is PEMDAS the same as BODMAS?
Yes. PEMDAS, BODMAS, BIDMAS, BEDMAS and GEMDAS all describe the identical rule; only the wording of the mnemonic differs by country. In Japan and many other places the same rule is taught without a mnemonic at all.
What grade is order of operations taught in?
In the US Common Core sequence, parentheses and the order of operations appear in 5th grade (5.OA.A.1) and whole-number exponents in 6th grade (6.EE.A.1). Both standards remain current as of August 2026.
Does 37 teach order of operations?
Through practice rather than instruction. Reaching exactly 37 requires controlling the order of operations deliberately, since where you place parentheses and exponents changes the result. Players learn the rule by needing it.