Order of Operations & Calculator Strategy
Key rules for clean computation and smart calculator use on the PSAT.
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Study Smart Tips for Order of Operations & Calculator Strategy
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Spaced Repetition
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Multiple Sessions
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Questions Covered in This Set
10 cards to master
What does PEMDAS stand for, in the correct priority order?
Parentheses (grouping), Exponents, Multiplication/Division (left to right), Addition/Subtraction (left to right).
Evaluate 24 ÷ 4 × 3.
18. Division and multiplication tie, so go left to right: 24 ÷ 4 = 6, then 6 × 3 = 18.
What are the 'invisible grouping symbols'?
The numerator and denominator of a fraction bar, and everything under a radical sign.
What is the difference between -3² and (-3)²?
-3² = -(3²) = -9 because the exponent binds tighter than the negative sign; (-3)² = +9 because the parentheses include the negative.
Evaluate 3 + 2(5 - 8)².
21. Parentheses: 5-8 = -3; exponent: (-3)² = 9; multiply: 2×9 = 18; add: 3+18 = 21.
Rule for typing a fraction into a calculator
Wrap the entire numerator and the entire denominator in parentheses every single time: (4+8)/(6-2) = 3, not 4+8/6-2.
Is √(9 + 16) equal to 3 + 4?
No. The radical groups everything under it: √25 = 5, not 7.
Name three situations where the calculator helps.
Ugly arithmetic (0.0375 × 1,240), graphing/solving equations in Desmos, verifying an answer found by hand, or backsolving with messy numbers.
Name three situations where you should skip the calculator.
Clean numbers (15% of 80), symbolic answer choices like 2x + 3y, and conceptual questions such as identifying a negative slope.
What habit catches most calculator typos?
Estimate before you compute — if you expect ~50 and the screen shows 5,000, you mistyped.
