Error Analysis Answer Key

This order of operations worksheet helps students strengthen understanding by analyzing whether two-step expressions have been solved correctly. Learners mark each solution as correct or incorrect, explain any errors they find, and then compute the correct answer, reinforcing careful reasoning and procedural accuracy.

Instructional Objectives

• Skill Focus (Grades 5-7): Evaluate two-step numerical expressions using correct order-of-operations rules.
• Conceptual Understanding (Grades 5-7): Identify common PEMDAS mistakes, such as performing addition before multiplication or ignoring parentheses.
• Algebraic Reasoning (Grades 6-7): Justify corrections by explaining why a solution is incorrect and how to resolve it properly.
• Curriculum Alignment (Grades 5-7): Supports error analysis, multi-step expression evaluation, mathematical justification, and order of operations mastery standards.

By focusing on incorrect work, students engage in metacognitive thinking-reflecting on both the process and the outcome. Explaining mistakes helps learners internalize correct procedures and avoid repeating common errors.

Learning Benefits

• Builds strong error-detection and correction skills
• Encourages explanation and justification of mathematical thinking
• Reinforces disciplined use of PEMDAS
• Effective for discussion-based lessons, review, or formative assessment

This printable worksheet provides meaningful practice with analyzing and correcting two-step order-of-operations problems, helping students develop accuracy, confidence, and deeper conceptual understanding.

This worksheet is part of our 2-Step Order of Operations Worksheets collection.