Erm, can anyone decipher this math question?

See attached:

They’re asking me to simply which is fine but am I meant to be just equating them? The question feels incomplete.

Theyre the same expression. So I guess theyre just giving you the first step on the right. So start with the left and keep going ...

Do you think they’re expecting me to cancel out the logs? I end up with x³+y+6 in its most simplified expression.

The steps in the op are not right and youd expect the final expression to contain log(x) and log(y). So
log(8x^3) = log((2x)^3)
or
log(8x^3) = log(8 ) + log(x^3)
not what youve written. The cube has to apply to the whole argument to bring it outside the log.

I just deleted my previous message because I realised my thinking is incorrect. Do you think it’s best to just expand the expression?
Such as 3log₂(x)+2 - log₂(y),

Its going to be something like that. Also note you can divide 8 by 2 right at the start.

Yeah, I just noticed that at the beginning. Essentially that’s what simplifying would have been lol.
I’m contacting to confirm because that doesn’t require using any log laws lol