Why Are There Two Names?

The difference is purely geographical and historical. American schools adopted PEMDAS — Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction — in the mid-20th century. Canadian and Australian curricula instead adopted BEDMAS — Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. The United Kingdom uses BODMAS or BIDMAS (with Order instead of Exponents). All of these acronyms describe identical mathematical rules.

Are the Rules Actually Identical?

Yes, completely. Brackets and Parentheses are the same mathematical operation. The swap of Division/Multiplication versus Multiplication/Division in the acronym misleads many students into thinking M comes before D in PEMDAS (or D before M in BEDMAS) — but this is wrong. All versions of the acronym treat multiplication and division as equal priority, solved left to right. The acronym ordering is a memory aid, not a strict sequence.

The Misconception This Creates

The most common misconception caused by these acronyms: students in PEMDAS countries believe multiplication always comes before division, and students in BEDMAS countries believe division always comes before multiplication. Both beliefs are incorrect. In 6 ÷ 3 × 2, you work left to right: 6 ÷ 3 = 2, then 2 × 2 = 4. The answer is 4, not 1, regardless of which acronym you learned.

Which Is Easier to Remember?

Surveys of students consistently show that BEDMAS is slightly easier to remember and pronounce as a word, while PEMDAS is more familiar to American students through sheer repetition in the curriculum. If you are switching between countries or curricula, remember this: the rules are identical regardless of the acronym. Learn the rules, not just the letters.