Operator precedence (BASIC-style evaluation order): Match each operation category with its priority rank, where 1 is the highest priority and 4 is the lowest. List I (Operation) List II (Priority) A. Exponentiation 1. Highest B. Multiplication and division 2. Next C. Addition and subtraction 3. Next D. Expressions within parentheses 4. Lowest

Introduction / Context:
Coding and math evaluation rules share a universal theme: parentheses first, then powers, then multiply/divide, and finally add/subtract. This item verifies your grasp of precedence in a BASIC-style hierarchy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Priority rank 1 is the highest, 4 is the lowest.
• Categories are grouped (e.g., * and / share a level).
• Parentheses explicitly override default precedence.

Concept / Approach:

The canonical order is: parentheses → exponentiation → multiplication/division → addition/subtraction. We simply map each category to its ordinal rank.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Evaluate 2 + 3 * 4^2: parentheses first (none), exponent first (4^2=16), then multiply (3*16=48), finally add (2+48=50). This matches the mapped precedence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Putting exponentiation above parentheses defeats the explicit-grouping rule.
• Swapping add/sub before multiply/divide violates standard arithmetic precedence.
• Any scheme with parentheses not at the top is incorrect for BASIC-style evaluation.

Common Pitfalls:

Forgetting that nested parentheses are evaluated from the innermost outward, and confusing right-associative exponentiation behavior in some languages (which does not change its rank versus * and +).

Final Answer:

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1