For most of us, it has been years since we held a number two pencil or tried to solve a math equation, but dozens of social media users are dusting off their arithmetic skills to solve a ‘simple’ equation. 

The problem was shared online by the X account, BreaktheSilos, which regularly posts viral puzzles to decode. 

The equation read: 24 ÷ 6 x 6 ÷ 3. Some social media users guessed the answer was 8, while others thought it was 2. 

Can you solve the problem in under 30 seconds? Get your timer ready and give it a try. 

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. 

Since this equation does not have parentheses or exponents, the first step is to evaluate the multiplication operation 24 ÷ 6, which equals 4. 

When a problem has both multiplication and division, the equation needs to be solved in the order of whichever comes first. 

Can you solve the above equation in under 30 seconds? Get your timer out

The problem now becomes 4 x 6 ÷ 3. While some may be tempted to solve the next division operation, it’s important to follow the correct order and solve 4 x 6 first. 

Since 4 x 6 equals 24, the equation now becomes 24 ÷ 3, equaling the final answer of 8. 

Those who accidentally got 2 as the final answer made an operation error along the way. 

The answer to the problem is 8. To solve the equation, it is important to follow the golden rule of PEMDAS 

Did you solve the equation in under 30 seconds? If yes, congratulations. If not, then you were not the only one.

When solving multi-step math equations, just one arithmetic error can mess up the entire equation. 

If you want to test your skills again, take a look at this simple math sum that has internet users puzzled.