Why so many mistakes?
- Rushed reading from left to right, without applying the division priority.
- Mentally adding parentheses that do not exist.
- Confusion between “multiplication comes before division” (in reality, they have the same rank).
Express cheat sheets
- First, identify all the divisions/multiplications and solve them in the order they appear.
- Only then should you handle addition/subtraction.
- If an expression seems unclear, add parentheses to properly visualize the hierarchy of calculations.
The “real” modern trap
Compact expressions like 8 ÷ 2(2+2) are often debated online because they are ambiguous. The best practice? Always add parentheses to clarify your intention. This is the key to being among the 1% who never make a mistake .
