Grade 6 · Math

6th grade Exponents and order of operations worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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Exponents and order of operations

Grade 6 Math Worksheet - Building Confidence

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

Ari writes a power on a sheet of paper: 3^3 means 3 × 3 × 3. What is 3^3?
Bo folds a paper strip in half 5 times, so it has 2^5 layers (one very squished strip). 2^5 means 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2. How many layers is that?
Esme tiles a square dollhouse floor in 8 rows of 8 tiles. The number of tiles is 8^2, which means 8 × 8. How many tiles is that?
Luz beats the clock on a warm-up. First work out the power: 2^3 means 2 × 2 × 2. What is 9 + 2^3?
Noah draws a bar with a part of 4 and a part made of 5 bars of 2. What is 4 + 5 × 2?
Pia has a jar with 15 beads (it rattles). Two friends each take 3 beads. The bar of 15 has 2 bars of 3 taken off. What is 15 − 2 × 3?
Bo follows a map clue from left to right: first 36 ÷ 6. What is 36 ÷ 6 × 3?
Esme solves a puzzle under the lamp. The power comes first: 3^2 means 3 × 3. What is 2 × 3^2?
Kira bundles two parts in parentheses: 3 + 2 is one bar. What is (3 + 2) × 4?
Luz packs 3 boxes of pencils. The parentheses bundle one box: 6 red and 2 blue. How many pencils are there, (6 + 2) × 3?

6th grade Exponents and order of operations worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Exponents and order of operations. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can say what 3^4 means and work it out (3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81).
I can do the power first, then multiplying and dividing, then adding and subtracting.
I can use parentheses to say which part to work out first.

Standard: 6.EE.A.1, 6.EE.A.2c

Words to know

power: A number multiplied by itself several times, such as 3^4.

base: The number that is multiplied by itself. In 3^4 the base is 3.

exponent: The small raised number. It says how many copies of the base to multiply.

order of operations: The agreed order: parentheses, then powers, then × and ÷ from left to right, then + and − from left to right.

parentheses: Marks ( ) round a part that must be worked out first.

Common mistakes

Your child multiplied the big number by the small raised number (3^4 as 3 × 4). Try asking "how many 3s are multiplied together?" and write 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 together.

Your child added or subtracted first when a times or divide sign came after it (2 + 3 × 4 as 5 × 4, or 15 − 2 × 3 as 13 × 3). Try asking "which part is being multiplied or divided?" and work that part out first.

Your child did the times before the divide in a problem like 48 ÷ 6 × 2. Try reading it out loud from left to right: "48 divided by 6, then times 2."

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with exponents and order of operations?

Your child multiplied the big number by the small raised number (3^4 as 3 × 4). Try asking "how many 3s are multiplied together?" and write 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 together.

Are these 6th grade math worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 math

See all grade 6 math

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