Incorrect Scoring

If you think your answer was scored incorrectly, use this checklist to rule out some common problems before reporting the question to customer support.

  • Does your answer contain typographical errors?
  • Did you enter an approximate answer instead of an exact answer?

    Most math questions require an exact answer, not a decimal approximation.

    Approximation Exact Answer
    .67 2/3
    .91 sin(2)
    .699 log(5)
  • Did you specify variables using the same case as given in the problem?

    If the problem gives a variable as x, your answer must use x, not X.

  • Does your answer use Greek letters as specified in the problem?

    If the problem specifies a value using a Greek letter, use the same letter (and case) in your answer by typing the letter's name using the correct case (for example, rho for ρ). Don't replace it with an English letter that looks similar.

  • Did you enclose function arguments in parentheses?

    Notation like sin x + 2 is ambiguous: it could mean sin (x + 2) or sin (x) + 2. To ensure your answer is graded correctly, enclose trigonometric or logarithmic function arguments in parentheses.

  • Did you use f(x) function notation?

    WebAssign treats notation like f(x) or y(x) as multiplication. If the question asks for y = x + 1, then f(x) = x + 1 will be marked incorrect.

  • Does your answer include scientific notation with a decimal exponent, for example, 1e2.5?

    Decimal exponents are not allowed in scientific notation and will not be calculated correctly. When entering scientific notation, always use a lowercase e and an integer exponent, for example, 1.23e-5.

  • Did you enter vectors with the Vectors button?

    WebAssign treats letters typed into answer boxes as variables, not vectors. To represent a vector, use the Vectors button and select the correct notation.

  • If graphing an answer, is it possible that some unintended objects were drawn?

    Incorrect scoring in the WebAssign graphing tool often happens when extra objects like points or segments are included in your graph. To check for this, click Submission Data to view data describing your response. You can clear the drawing and start again to ensure no extra objects are included.

  • If answering a matching question, did you select an answer for each matching item?

    Submitting a matching question with unfilled answer blanks causes correct matches to be scored incorrectly. To reduce this issue's effect on student scores, consider using multiple choice instead of matching mode.