Order of Operations

Order of Operations is the agreed order for working out an expression, so that everyone gets the same answer. In NSW Year 7 maths (NESA outcome MA4‑INT‑C‑01) it is used with negative numbers: grouping symbols first, then powers, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction, each from left to right.

You will see how brackets change an answer, treat a fraction bar as grouping its top and its bottom, work out powers such as \((-3)^2\) and \(-3^2\), find missing numbers, and turn word descriptions into expressions. Scoring a quiz where wrong answers lose marks is one everyday use. It is part of Year 7 Integers.