This deep dive covers Common BIDMAS Mistakes within BIDMAS for GCSE Mathematics. Revise BIDMAS in Number for GCSE Mathematics with 14 exam-style questions and 22 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 3 of 9 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 9
Practice
14 questions
Recall
22 flashcards
Common BIDMAS Mistakes
❌ Mistake 1: Working purely left to right
2 + 3 × 4 = 5 × 4 = 20 WRONG!
✅ Multiplication first: 2 + (3 × 4) = 2 + 12 = 14
❌ Mistake 2: Treating division and multiplication as separate priorities
12 ÷ 3 × 2 = 12 ÷ 6 = 2 WRONG!
✅ Left to right: (12 ÷ 3) × 2 = 4 × 2 = 8
❌ Mistake 3: Ignoring brackets with indices
2 × (3 + 1)² = 2 × 3 + 1² = 7 WRONG!
✅ Brackets first: 2 × (4)² = 2 × 16 = 32
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in BIDMAS. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for BIDMAS
What does the letter 'I' stand for in BIDMAS?
Explain what BIDMAS tells us about calculations and why it is needed.
Quick Recall Flashcards
14 questions on BIDMAS — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 22 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
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