Simple-looking math test question leaves people baffled - can you solve it in 30 seconds?

Published: 12:48, 31 May 2026 | Updated: 12:48, 31 May 2026 Most of us have not tested our arithmetic skills since we were forced to in grade school, but some are reaching back into their memories to solve a math equation that has left social media users baffled.  The problem was shared online by the X account, BreaktheSilos, which regularly posts viral puzzles for people to decode.  The poster shared a call to action, 'Let's solve this!?' The equation was revealed as 8 + 2 x 5 ÷ 8.  Some commenters guessed 10, others guessed 8.8, while others claimed the solution was 9.25 and one even speculated that the answer was 6.25.  Can you solve the equation in under 30 seconds? Get your timer out, and your number two pencil (if you still have one), and find out!  If you are struggling to remember where to begin, look to the golden rule of PEMDAS.  PEMDAS stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction. To solve a multi-step equation, it is important to follow the PEMDAS order.  This equation does not have parentheses or exponents, so the first operation is to solve multiplication.  Do you think you can solve this easy grade-school math problem in under 30 seconds?  Since we must start with multiplication, the first step is to solve 2 x 5, which equals 10. The equation now becomes 8 + 10 ÷ 8.  Next up is tackling division. 10 ÷ 8 = 1.25, so the problem has now become 8 + 1.25.  The last step in solving the problem is to add 8 and 1.25, which equals 9.25.  Were you one of the math wizzes to solve the problem in under 30 seconds? If yes, congratulations!  To solve the problem, remember the golden rule of PEMDAS. The correct answer is 9.25  If not, don't worry, there are plenty of opportunities to sharpen up those math skills, and many social media users also made mistakes.  When solving multi-step math equations, just one arithmetic error can mess up the entire equation.  Those who thought 6.25 was the answer forgot the golden rule of PEMDAS and solved the equation in order, starting by adding 8 and 2 to get 10.  After that, the equation becomes 10 x 5 ÷ 8, and then 50 ÷ 8, which equals the incorrect answer of 6.25.  If you made an error or are on a roll solving math equations, try this problem next, reserved only for geniuses.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.