बोडमास नियम और सरलीकरण के मूल
BODMAS Rule and the Basics of Simplification
Simplification is the single biggest scoring block in SBI Clerk Prelims Numerical Ability. Ten to fifteen of the 35 questions come from this area, and every one of them is winnable in under 25 seconds once your order of operations becomes automatic. The entire topic rests on one rule — BODMAS — so mastering it first gives you the fastest return on effort in the whole section.
What the Question Actually Tests
A simplification question gives you a long expression and asks for its exact value. It is not testing difficult mathematics; it is testing whether you apply operations in the right order and whether you can compute quickly without filling a rough sheet with steps. Because these are the fastest, most accurate marks in the paper, the time you save here funds the tougher arithmetic and data interpretation questions that come later. Treat simplification as your bank of guaranteed marks and never leave one unattempted.
The BODMAS Order
B → O → D → M → A → S (Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction)
Two things trip candidates up. First, Division and Multiplication share one priority level, and so do Addition and Subtraction — you do not finish all multiplication before starting division. Instead you take whichever appears first as you read from the left. Second, brackets are always solved from the innermost outward. Get these two habits right and roughly one in five arithmetic errors simply disappears.
| Symbol | Meaning | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| ( ), { }, [ ] | Brackets | 1st (innermost first) |
| x², √, % | Orders / powers / roots | 2nd |
| ÷ and × | Division, Multiplication | 3rd (left to right) |
| + and − | Addition, Subtraction | 4th (left to right) |
Shortcut: 'of' Means Multiply, and Do It Early
The word 'of' — as in '2/5 of 300' — behaves like a bracket, so resolve it before ordinary division or multiplication. Consider '1/2 of 40 ÷ 4'. If you read 'of' as an ordinary multiply you may wrongly compute (1/2 × 40) ÷ 4 = 5, or 1/2 × (40 ÷ 4) = 5. Here both agree, but with larger numbers the order matters, so train yourself to see 'of' as glued tightly to its two operands and settle it first.
Solved Examples
Example 1: 12 + 8 × 5 − 6 ÷ 3. Handle multiplication and division first: 8 × 5 = 40 and 6 ÷ 3 = 2. Now only addition and subtraction remain: 12 + 40 − 2 = 50.
Example 2: 3/4 of 80 + (15 − 7) × 2. Resolve 'of' and the bracket: 3/4 × 80 = 60 and (15 − 7) = 8, then 8 × 2 = 16. Finally 60 + 16 = 76.
Example 3: 48 ÷ 6 × 2. Reading left to right, 48 ÷ 6 = 8, then 8 × 2 = 16. A rushed candidate does 48 ÷ 12 = 4 by multiplying first — this exact left-to-right trap appears almost every year.
✗ 48 ÷ 6 × 2 = 48 ÷ 12 = 4 | ✓ 48 ÷ 6 × 2 = 8 × 2 = 16
याद रखें: भाग और गुणा एक ही स्तर पर हैं — इन्हें बाएँ से दाएँ हल करें, हमेशा पहले गुणा नहीं। 'of' का मतलब गुणा है और उसे कोष्ठक की तरह पहले हल करें।
Exam Pointer — SBI Clerk gives 10–15 simplification questions and they are pure BODMAS with fractions and decimals mixed in. Aim for 20–25 seconds each and attempt every single one, because this is your highest-accuracy, highest-speed block. The only real trap is the left-to-right rule on shared-level operators, so slow down for exactly half a second when you see ÷ and × side by side.
60-Second Recap
- Order: Brackets → Orders → Division/Multiplication → Addition/Subtraction.
- ÷ and × share a level, + and − share a level — always solve left to right.
- 'of' behaves like a bracket: resolve it before plain division.
- 10–15 marks in Prelims — attempt all of them, about 22 seconds each.