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28+ Best Free Assignment Cover Page Formats for MS Word

What is an assignment cover page, key elements for a comprehensive front page.

• Institution Details: Begin by prominently featuring the name of your school, college, or institute. This establishes credibility and provides context for your assignment.
• Personal Information: Include your own name to indicate authorship and ownership of the assignment. This adds a personal touch and facilitates easy identification.
• Assignment Title: Clearly state the title of your assignment, conveying its purpose and focus. A concise and informative title sets the tone for your work.
• Course Information: Specify the relevant course title or code to indicate the academic context in which your assignment was completed. This assists in proper categorization and organization.
• Instructor’s Name: Acknowledge the teacher or professor who will be evaluating your assignment by including their name. This demonstrates respect and professionalism.
• Due Date: Clearly indicate the deadline or due date for the assignment submission. This ensures timely assessment and helps you stay organized.

What are the basic tips?

• Font style : It is always in the best interest to use bold, simple, and clear text instead of using fancy text fonts and styles. This helps the reader understand things in a better way.  Moreover, the usage of pictures behind texts must be avoided as it creates poor visibility for the reader when reading the text printed on it.
• Presentation: Presentation plays an important role in expressing what you need to convey to someone and how you need to communicate it. Presenting the title page in the most effective manner is essential as this leaves an impression on the teacher reading the assignment. It also acts as a decisive tool for the teacher whether or not he/ she interestingly goes through the whole document.
• Spell Check: Before handing over the assignment, one should take a brief review of all the spelling and also look for any grammatical errors.
• Avoid plagiarism: A student must always be honest in what he writes. He should avoid copying material or texts from anywhere.
• Personal detail: One should never forget to mention his/her name. The font size used for writing the name must be bigger so that it makes the name visible to the teacher.

Advantages of an Impressive Assignment Cover Page

• Showcasing Professionalism: By meticulously designing your cover page, you demonstrate a strong commitment to professionalism. This attention to detail reflects positively on your work ethic and sets you apart as a dedicated student.
• Creating a Positive Impression: A well-crafted front page sets the tone for your assignment, capturing the attention of your teacher or professor. It establishes a positive first impression, arousing their interest and encouraging them to delve further into your work.
• Enhancing Visual Appeal: A visually appealing cover page enhances the overall presentation of your assignment. With carefully chosen fonts, colors, and layouts, you create an engaging and aesthetically pleasing introduction that captivates the reader’s attention.
• Communicating Pertinent Information: It provides a concise summary of essential details, such as the assignment title, your name, and the due date. This ensures clarity and facilitates seamless identification and organization of your work.
• Reflecting a Professional Attitude: By dedicating time and effort to creating an impressive cover page, you exemplify a professional attitude towards your academic pursuits. This level of dedication and care leaves a lasting impression on your teacher or professor.

Download Free Cover Page Templates

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#17 – Generic Cover Page for any Assignment

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Versatile Designs and Layouts for Every Purpose

• Assignment Types: Our templates are designed specifically for different types of assignments, such as case studies, critical reviews, essays, syllabi, and business projects. Each template is tailored to suit the requirements and objectives of its respective assignment type.
• Academic Disciplines: Our collection includes templates suitable for various academic disciplines like biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, English, geography, mathematics, physics, and social studies. Each template aligns with the themes and aesthetics of its corresponding discipline.
• Purposes: Whether you are a student, educator, or professional, our templates serve multiple purposes. They can be used for university assignments, school projects, research papers, or any academic or professional endeavor that requires a polished cover page.
• Designs, Layouts, and Styles: Our templates offer a diverse range of designs, from minimalistic and clean to visually captivating and sophisticated. You can choose from different layouts that creatively arrange text, images, and graphics. Our templates cater to a variety of styles, ensuring there is something for everyone’s preferences.

User-Friendly Customization: Make It Your Own

• Easy Modifications: We believe in keeping things simple. With just a few clicks, you can effortlessly modify our templates to suit your specific requirements. Change colors, fonts, and layouts with ease, and watch your cover page transform before your eyes.
• Colors and Themes: Infuse it with the perfect color scheme and themes that truly represent your assignment. Our templates offer a wide range of options, so you can find the ideal palette and theme that resonate with your content.
• Font Selection: The right font can make all the difference. Choose from our diverse selection of fonts to enhance the visual appeal and readability. From elegant and professional to modern and bold, we have fonts to suit every style.
• Layout Flexibility: It should reflect your unique presentation style. With our templates, you have the freedom to experiment with different layouts, arranging titles, subtitles, images, and text blocks in a way that best suits your assignment.

Benefits of Using Professionally Designed Templates: Make an Impact with Ease

• Time and Effort Saving: Our professionally designed templates eliminate the need to start from scratch. With pre-designed layouts, styles, and graphics, you can save valuable time and effort in creating visually appealing front pages. Simply customize the template to suit your assignment’s requirements, and you’re ready to impress.
• Consistency and Professionalism: Using our templates ensures consistency in your assignment submissions. The standardized design elements and formatting guidelines help maintain a professional appearance throughout your work. Presenting your assignments with a polished title page enhances the overall quality and credibility of your content.
• Visual Appeal: A visually appealing title page grabs attention and sets the tone for your assignment. Our templates are thoughtfully crafted by design professionals, incorporating aesthetically pleasing elements, color schemes, and typography. By leveraging these designs, you can effortlessly create eye-catching cover pages that captivate your professors or readers.
• Positive Impression: First impressions matter, and a well-designed cover page leaves a positive impact on professors and readers alike. Showcasing your assignment in a professional and visually appealing manner demonstrates your dedication and attention to detail. It sets the stage for an engaging reading experience, encouraging your audience to delve deeper into your work.
• User-Friendly Customization: Our templates are designed to be easily customizable, allowing you to add your personal touch without technical expertise. You can modify text, colors, images, and other elements to align with your assignment’s theme and requirements. This flexibility ensures that your cover page reflects your unique style while maintaining a professional look.

Tips for Maximizing the Impact: Make Your Cover Page Stand Out

• Choose Colors Wisely: Select colors that complement your assignment’s theme and evoke the desired emotions. Vibrant colors can grab attention, while muted tones create a sense of elegance. Maintain consistency with your assignment’s overall design and avoid using too many colors that may distract from the main message.
• Opt for Legible Fonts: Use clear and readable fonts to enhance the accessibility and professionalism of your cover page. Avoid overly decorative or complex fonts that may hinder readability. Opt for fonts that align with your assignment’s tone and maintain consistency throughout the document.
• Incorporate Relevant Graphics: Graphics can enhance the visual appeal of your cover page and reinforce the assignment’s subject matter. Choose images or icons that are directly related to the topic or convey the assignment’s main concept. Ensure that the graphics are high-quality and appropriately sized to maintain clarity.
• Organize Information Effectively: Arrange the information in a logical and visually appealing manner. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break down content and make it easier to read. Highlight key details such as the assignment title, your name, course information, and submission date.
• Maintain Simplicity: While it’s important to make it visually appealing, avoid cluttering it with excessive elements. Keep the design clean and uncluttered, allowing the key information to stand out. Remember, simplicity often has a greater impact than complexity.
• Preview and Proofread: Before finalizing, preview it to ensure that all elements are properly aligned and visually balanced. Proofread the content to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished and error-free cover demonstrates your attention to detail and professionalism.

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HOW TO – Format papers in standard academic format (using Microsoft Word)

This guide explains how to format your documents in Microsoft Word so that they follow the standard rules for formatting academic papers as described in most MLA and APA style books for undergraduate writing. These rules apply to most of the papers you will submit in your college classes, but in some cases your professors will want you to follow specific guidelines that may differ from those below. Always clarify with your professor which set of guidelines he or she wants you to follow before you submit a paper.

Using standard formatting for academic papers shows that you understand the customs of the university community and therefore helps to boost your own credibility. Using unusual or highly distinctive formatting, on the other hand, suggests that your previous schooling did not adequately prepare you for university work. Consider the impact of unusual formatting: not only does it call attention to your paper in a way that might not be positive, professors might also see it as a sign that you’re trying to artificially inflate page length.

Note: These instructions apply to all versions of Word for Mac and for the 2003 version of Word for Windows. I haven’t yet updated them to include instructions for the 2007 version of Word for Windows, but the tools should nevertheless be easy to find if you look around on the toolbar at the top.

• 2 DOCUMENT MARGINS
• 3 INDENTATION
• 5 ALIGNMENT
• 6.1 Heading
• 6.3 Sample First Page
• 7 PAGE NUMBERS
• 8.1 Document Spacing
• 8.2 Paragraph Spacing
• 9 CREATE NEW PAGE
• 10 BLOCKED QUOTATIONS
• 11 RESOURCES

DOCUMENT MARGINS

Rule : Papers submitted for review or grading should have 1” margins all around. This should be the default for Word, but if your default setting is to have left and right margins of 1.25”, change your default. Page length requirements are based on 1” margins.

Instructions : Go to the Format menu, drag down to Document, change the margins, and the click on the Default button and accept the change to the Normal template. Make sure you leave the gutter set to 0” or you’ll mess up your document formatting.

INDENTATION

Rule : The first line of each paragraph should be automatically indented.

Instructions : This should be the default for Word, but if not, you might want to change your Normal style, as described above. To change the indentation format for a document, choose Select All from the Edit menu. Then go to the Format menu, drag down to Paragraph, look under the “Special” drop-down menu in the Indentation section, and select “First Line.” This setting automatically indents the first line of a new paragraph so that you don’t have to do it manually.

Rule : College papers should be in a standard academic font: either Times New Roman or Cambria, in 12pt size. (If you submit a paper in another font, I will change it on the file I download.)

Instructions : Times New Roman or Cambria 12pt should be the default for Word, but if yours is different then change your default. Go to the Format menu, drag down to Style, make sure “Normal” is selected from the list of styles, and click “modify.” Choose the correct font and size from the Formatting menu. Click “OK” to make the change to your default settings.

Rule : The text of your paper should be left aligned, NOT justified, as justified text is hard to read if it hasn’t been professionally typeset. The default in Word is left alignment, so don’t change it.

FIRST PAGE FORMAT

Rule : In the upper left corner of the first page of your document, type your name, the date, the course number and section (or topic), and the version of the paper (such as Paper 1 Second Draft), each on a separate line. Be sure to change the date and paper version when you submit revisions and final versions. See the sample below.

DO NOT use the “headers” feature from the header/footer menu to create this full heading as that will make it appear on every page, which is not customary in academic writing. Also do NOT use a title page unless the assignment specifically asks for one.

Rule : Skip a line after the heading and center an original title that conveys the topic of your paper. Do not use underlining or italics in the heading (unless you’re referring to the title of a book or periodical). Do not use bold text or ALL CAPS.

Sample First Page

Page numbers.

Rule : All papers should have automatically inserted page numbers that show in the upper right corner on all pages except the first. Do not insert these page numbers by hand. Instead, use Word’s Header/Footer tool.

For documents following MLA format, put your last name and page number in the upper right corner. For documents following APA format, put a short version of your title (instead of your last name) and the page number in the upper right corner.

Instructions : Go to the View menu and choose “Header and Footer.” You’ll see a header box appear at the top and a footer box at the bottom. Click in the header box, type your last name (or title), make it align to the right, and then select Page Numbers from the Insert menu.

When you’re finished, click on the “Close” tab under the Header view. Each page of your document should now display a page number at the upper right that updates automatically when you make changes to the document. It will appear as grayed out text unless you active the Header and Footer tool to make changes.

To change the setting so that page numbers do not display on the first page, go to the Format men, drag down to Document, and click on the Layout button. Then check the box next to “Different First Page.” Click OK. If necessary, remove the header that appears on the first page and insert a header on the second page, which will automatically appear on all subsequent pages as well.

Document Spacing

Rule : The entire paper should be double-spaced, including the heading and bibliography.

Instructions : Choose “Select All” from the Edit menu, go to the Format menu and drag down to Paragraph, and choose “double” from the “line spacing” menu in the Spacing section. Or you can use these keyboard shortcuts. On a Mac, use Cmd-A to select all and Cmd-2 to double-space. On a PC, use Ctrl-A to select all and Ctrl-2 to double space.

Paragraph Spacing

Rule : Papers should have no extra spacing after paragraphs. This should be the default for Word, but if your default setting is to have 10pt spacing after paragraphs, change your default.

Instructions : Go to the Format menu, drag down to Style, make sure “Normal” is selected from the list of styles, and click “modify.” In the lower left corner, select the dropdown menu that starts with “Format” and drag down to Paragraph. In the paragraph settings menu that pops up, change the settings for Spacing After to 0pt.

CREATE NEW PAGE

Instead of using a lot of returns before starting your bibliography, create a new page for it following these instructions.

Go to the Insert menu, drag down to Break, and then drag over to Page Break.

BLOCKED QUOTATIONS

Rule : If a quotation will exceed four lines within a paragraph, you should separate it out by blocking and indenting it. As with any quotation, a blocked quotation should be clearly introduced by the sentence that leads up to it and it should also be properly cited, but the rules for blocked quotations are somewhat different. The blocking take the place of quotation marks, and unlike in a regular in-paragraph quotation, the parenthetical citation goes outside of the final period instead of inside of it (given that the blocked quote might contain several sentences.)

Instructions : Type the quotation in its own paragraph, without quotation marks, and remove the indent from the first line. Type the source in parentheses after the last period of the last sentence. With your cursor, select the quotation, from the first word to the end of the parenthetical citation, and click the Increase Indent button from the Paragraph Formatting menu.

• MLA Formatting Guidelines for College Papers
• APA Formatting Guidelines for College Papers
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A step-by-step guide for creating and formatting APA Style student papers

The start of the semester is the perfect time to learn how to create and format APA Style student papers. This article walks through the formatting steps needed to create an APA Style student paper, starting with a basic setup that applies to the entire paper (margins, font, line spacing, paragraph alignment and indentation, and page headers). It then covers formatting for the major sections of a student paper: the title page, the text, tables and figures, and the reference list. Finally, it concludes by describing how to organize student papers and ways to improve their quality and presentation.

The guidelines for student paper setup are described and shown using annotated diagrams in the Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3.40MB) and the A Step-by-Step Guide to APA Style Student Papers webinar . Chapter 1 of the Concise Guide to APA Style and Chapter 2 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association describe the elements, format, and organization for student papers. Tables and figures are covered in Chapter 7 of both books. Information on paper format and tables and figures and a full sample student paper are also available on the APA Style website.

Basic setup

The guidelines for basic setup apply to the entire paper. Perform these steps when you first open your document, and then you do not have to worry about them again while writing your paper. Because these are general aspects of paper formatting, they apply to all APA Style papers, student or professional. Students should always check with their assigning instructor or institution for specific guidelines for their papers, which may be different than or in addition to APA Style guidelines.

Seventh edition APA Style was designed with modern word-processing programs in mind. Most default settings in programs such as Academic Writer, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs already comply with APA Style. This means that, for most paper elements, you do not have to make any changes to the default settings of your word-processing program. However, you may need to make a few adjustments before you begin writing.

Use 1-in. margins on all sides of the page (top, bottom, left, and right). This is usually how papers are automatically set.

Use a legible font. The default font of your word-processing program is acceptable. Many sans serif and serif fonts can be used in APA Style, including 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia. You can also use other fonts described on the font page of the website.

Line spacing

Double-space the entire paper including the title page, block quotations, and the reference list. This is something you usually must set using the paragraph function of your word-processing program. But once you do, you will not have to change the spacing for the entirety of your paper–just double-space everything. Do not add blank lines before or after headings. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs. For paper sections with different line spacing, see the line spacing page.

Paragraph alignment and indentation

Align all paragraphs of text in the body of your paper to the left margin. Leave the right margin ragged. Do not use full justification. Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5-in. using the tab key or the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. For paper sections with different alignment and indentation, see the paragraph alignment and indentation page.

Page numbers

Put a page number in the top right of every page header , including the title page, starting with page number 1. Use the automatic page-numbering function of your word-processing program to insert the page number in the top right corner; do not type the page numbers manually. The page number is the same font and font size as the text of your paper. Student papers do not require a running head on any page, unless specifically requested by the instructor.

Title page setup

Title page elements.

APA Style has two title page formats: student and professional (for details, see title page setup ). Unless instructed otherwise, students should use the student title page format and include the following elements, in the order listed, on the title page:

• Paper title.
• Name of each author (also known as the byline).
• Affiliation for each author.
• Course number and name.
• Instructor name.
• Assignment due date.
• Page number 1 in the top right corner of the page header.

The format for the byline depends on whether the paper has one author, two authors, or three or more authors.

• When the paper has one author, write the name on its own line (e.g., Jasmine C. Hernandez).
• When the paper has two authors, write the names on the same line and separate them with the word “and” (e.g., Upton J. Wang and Natalia Dominguez).
• When the paper has three or more authors, separate the names with commas and include “and” before the final author’s name (e.g., Malia Mohamed, Jaylen T. Brown, and Nia L. Ball).

Students have an academic affiliation, which identities where they studied when the paper was written. Because students working together on a paper are usually in the same class, they will have one shared affiliation. The affiliation consists of the name of the department and the name of the college or university, separated by a comma (e.g., Department of Psychology, George Mason University). The department is that of the course to which the paper is being submitted, which may be different than the department of the student’s major. Do not include the location unless it is part of the institution’s name.

Write the course number and name and the instructor name as shown on institutional materials (e.g., the syllabus). The course number and name are often separated by a colon (e.g., PST-4510: History and Systems Psychology). Write the assignment due date in the month, date, and year format used in your country (e.g., Sept. 10, 2020).

Title page line spacing

Double-space the whole title page. Place the paper title three or four lines down from the top of the page. Add an extra double-spaced blank like between the paper title and the byline. Then, list the other title page elements on separate lines, without extra lines in between.

Title page alignment

Center all title page elements (except the right-aligned page number in the header).

Title page font

Write the title page using the same font and font size as the rest of your paper. Bold the paper title. Use standard font (i.e., no bold, no italics) for all other title page elements.

Text elements

Repeat the paper title at the top of the first page of text. Begin the paper with an introduction to provide background on the topic, cite related studies, and contextualize the paper. Use descriptive headings to identify other sections as needed (e.g., Method, Results, Discussion for quantitative research papers). Sections and headings vary depending on the paper type and its complexity. Text can include tables and figures, block quotations, headings, and footnotes.

Text line spacing

Double-space all text, including headings and section labels, paragraphs of text, and block quotations.

Text alignment

Center the paper title on the first line of the text. Indent the first line of all paragraphs 0.5-in.

Left-align the text. Leave the right margin ragged.

Block quotation alignment

Indent the whole block quotation 0.5-in. from the left margin. Double-space the block quotation, the same as other body text. Find more information on the quotations page.

Use the same font throughout the entire paper. Write body text in standard (nonbold, nonitalic) font. Bold only headings and section labels. Use italics sparingly, for instance, to highlight a key term on first use (for more information, see the italics page).

Headings format

For detailed guidance on formatting headings, including headings in the introduction of a paper, see the headings page and the headings in sample papers .

• Alignment: Center Level 1 headings. Left-align Level 2 and Level 3 headings. Indent Level 4 and Level 5 headings like a regular paragraph.
• Font: Boldface all headings. Also italicize Level 3 and Level 5 headings. Create heading styles using your word-processing program (built into AcademicWriter, available for Word via the sample papers on the APA Style website).

Tables and figures setup

Tables and figures are only included in student papers if needed for the assignment. Tables and figures share the same elements and layout. See the website for sample tables and sample figures .

Table elements

Tables include the following four elements: 

• Body (rows and columns)
• Note (optional if needed to explain elements in the table)

Figure elements

Figures include the following four elements: 

• Image (chart, graph, etc.)
• Note (optional if needed to explain elements in the figure)

Table line spacing

Double-space the table number and title. Single-, 1.5-, or double-space the table body (adjust as needed for readability). Double-space the table note.

Figure line spacing

Double-space the figure number and title. The default settings for spacing in figure images is usually acceptable (but adjust the spacing as needed for readability). Double-space the figure note.

Table alignment

Left-align the table number and title. Center column headings. Left-align the table itself and left-align the leftmost (stub) column. Center data in the table body if it is short or left-align the data if it is long. Left-align the table note.

Figure alignment

Left-align the figure number and title. Left-align the whole figure image. The default alignment of the program in which you created your figure is usually acceptable for axis titles and data labels. Left-align the figure note.

Bold the table number. Italicize the table title. Use the same font and font size in the table body as the text of your paper. Italicize the word “Note” at the start of the table note. Write the note in the same font and font size as the text of your paper.

Figure font

Bold the figure number. Italicize the figure title. Use a sans serif font (e.g., Calibri, Arial) in the figure image in a size between 8 to 14 points. Italicize the word “Note” at the start of the figure note. Write the note in the same font and font size as the text of your paper.

Placement of tables and figures

There are two options for the placement of tables and figures in an APA Style paper. The first option is to place all tables and figures on separate pages after the reference list. The second option is to embed each table and figure within the text after its first callout. This guide describes options for the placement of tables and figures embedded in the text. If your instructor requires tables and figures to be placed at the end of the paper, see the table and figure guidelines and the sample professional paper .

Call out (mention) the table or figure in the text before embedding it (e.g., write “see Figure 1” or “Table 1 presents”). You can place the table or figure after the callout either at the bottom of the page, at the top of the next page, or by itself on the next page. Avoid placing tables and figures in the middle of the page.

Embedding at the bottom of the page

Include a callout to the table or figure in the text before that table or figure. Add a blank double-spaced line between the text and the table or figure at the bottom of the page.

Embedding at the top of the page

Include a callout to the table in the text on the previous page before that table or figure. The table or figure then appears at the top of the next page. Add a blank double-spaced line between the end of the table or figure and the text that follows.

Embedding on its own page

Embed long tables or large figures on their own page if needed. The text continues on the next page.

Reference list setup

Reference list elements.

The reference list consists of the “References” section label and the alphabetical list of references. View reference examples on the APA Style website. Consult Chapter 10 in both the Concise Guide and Publication Manual for even more examples.

Reference list line spacing

Start the reference list at the top of a new page after the text. Double-space the entire reference list (both within and between entries).

Reference list alignment

Center the “References” label. Apply a hanging indent of 0.5-in. to all reference list entries. Create the hanging indent using your word-processing program; do not manually hit the enter and tab keys.

Reference list font

Bold the “References” label at the top of the first page of references. Use italics within reference list entries on either the title (e.g., webpages, books, reports) or on the source (e.g., journal articles, edited book chapters).

Final checks

Check page order.

• Start each section on a new page.
• Arrange pages in the following order:
• Title page (page 1).
• Text (starts on page 2).
• Reference list (starts on a new page after the text).

Check headings

• Check that headings accurately reflect the content in each section.
• Start each main section with a Level 1 heading.
• Use Level 2 headings for subsections of the introduction.
• Use the same level of heading for sections of equal importance.
• Avoid having only one subsection within a section (have two or more, or none).

Check assignment instructions

• Remember that instructors’ guidelines supersede APA Style.
• Students should check their assignment guidelines or rubric for specific content to include in their papers and to make sure they are meeting assignment requirements.

Tips for better writing

• Ask for feedback on your paper from a classmate, writing center tutor, or instructor.
• Budget time to implement suggestions.
• Use spell-check and grammar-check to identify potential errors, and then manually check those flagged.
• Proofread the paper by reading it slowly and carefully aloud to yourself.
• Consult your university writing center if you need extra help.

About the author

Undergraduate student resources

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Formatting and presenting assessments

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Formatting and presenting your assessments correctly is important because many include marks for presentation.

This may include marks for things such as:

• formatting and layout
• APA referencing
• writing style
• grammar and spelling.

Before you start on your assessment:

• check your assessment question, emails from your course leader, and learning materials for how it should be presented
• read the instructions carefully. Make sure you understand them and follow them exactly
• if you're not sure about what’s required contact your course leader.

Please note that assessments for psychology courses have specific requirements for formatting and presentation. Refer to the information and guidance provided on our Library and Learning Centre website:

APA Style for Psychology assessments

General guidelines for electronic submissions

• Most assessments should be produced using Microsoft Word.
• You can also submit assessments using: .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx or .rtf.
• if you don’t have Microsoft Word go to My Open Polytechnic to download and access your free version
• if you're not sure about the file type required, contact your course leader.
• Use a clear, readable font, such as Verdana, Calibri, Tahoma or Arial and use the same font throughout.
• Use black text on a white background.
• Avoid coloured backgrounds or text in a colour other than black, unless you have special permission to use them.
• Use 11 or 12 point font for the body of your assessment.
• Use 1.5 spacing and 2.53 cm (1”) wide margins.
• Leave a blank line between paragraphs.
• If the questions are short, leave a blank line between each question. If they are long, start each question on a new page.
• Left-justify your work (also known as left-aligned).
• Use bold for headings.
• Essays don’t usually need subheadings; reports usually do.

Most assessments need a title page, which should include:

• the title and number of the assessment
• the course number and name
• the due date
• your full name and student number.

Centre this information on the page, starting approximately one-third of the way down the page.

• Number and clearly label figures and tables.
• Add numbers as follows: Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Table 2, and so on.
• Put table and figure captions above the table.
• Don't number the items in a reference list.

For more help with figures and tables, check:

Get more help with tables  and figures – APA  Style website

Headers and footers

Insert a header or footer on each page (except the title page). It should contain:

• your name (last name, first name/s)
• your student number
• the course code
• the assessment number
• page numbers.

Reference list

The reference list comes at the end of the assessment and should start on a new page labelled 'References'.

Need more help with reference lists? Check out the guides below:

Quick referencing APA guidelines  (PDF 47 KB; opens in a new window)

Guide to APA referencing  (PDF 395.11 KB; opens in a new window)

Appendices are used for information that:

• is too long to include in the body of your assessment
• supplements or complements the information you are providing.

Start each appendix (if applicable) on a new page. If there's just one appendix label it ‘Appendix’ without a number. If there is more than one, label them Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on.

In the main text of your assessment, refer to the Appendix by the label – for example, Appendix A.

Tops and bottoms of pages

Check the top and bottom of your pages to ensure they avoid:

• widows – single lines of text at the top of a page
• orphans – first lines of paragraphs at the bottom of a page
• tombstones – headings or subheadings alone at the bottom of a page
• split lists – lists that are divided between two pages (if possible).

General guidelines for hard copies

Most of the guidelines above also apply to hard copies (printed or handwritten documents).

If your course requires or allows handwritten assessments, be sure to follow the course instructions on presenting handwritten assessments.

Word limits and word count guidelines 

Word limits support the development of concise writing skills. Word count guidelines help you to understand the expectation of workload for an assessment.

 For more detailed information about these go to:

Word limits and word count guidelines  

Got a question?

If you want to talk with someone about formatting and presenting your assessments, contact The Library and Learning Centre | Te Whare Pukapuka Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako. 

Contact the Library and Learning Centre

9 Microsoft Word Tips to Edit Your College Assignment Faster

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Assignments at the college and university levels are research-heavy, and you’re often expected to produce write-ups with a significant number of pages. Just when you think you’re done with producing the required word count, the next step is equally challenging and time-consuming: editing.

From keyboard shortcuts to simple, built-in features such as Find and Replace and the automatic table of contents, here are several tips you can use to edit and format your college assignment more efficiently in Microsoft Word.

1. Leave Paragraph Spacing as Your Last Step

Let’s first start on the right track. When you have a 3,000-word essay or report ahead, it’s tempting to set double-spacing when you only write a few sentences or a paragraph at most. It gives the comforting illusion that you have done more work than you actually have.

But to be more efficient at the final editing stage, it’s best to leave paragraph spacing as your last step. This way, you save time because you don’t have to scroll up and down much more than you need to while navigating through different sections and pages of your text.

2. Learn to Utilize Keyboard Shortcut Keys

Keyboard shortcuts make editing and formatting much faster compared to using a mouse. For example, when you use your mouse to select some words, you’ll probably miss a letter or two and have to re-highlight, or overshoot and include a period when you don’t need to.

In this case, you can select text accurately by using Ctrl + Shift , and the left and right arrow keys in Windows. There are many more Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts that will enable you to get most editing done on the keyboard, without having to switch to your mouse or trackpad. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you save with this method!

3. Hide the Headers and Footers

When you’re reading through a continuous body of text, the blank headers and footers may feel disruptive. To have a smoother reading and editing experience, hide the headers and footers to join all the pages together.

Hover your cursor over the gray space between your current page and the next, then double-click. When you need to use the headers and footers in Microsoft Word again, unhide them by hovering your cursor over the page separator line and double-click.

4. Collapse the Headings and Subheadings

For long report-style assignments, you’ll likely split your content into headings and subheadings. As you move from one section to the next, or jump between sections to rewrite and edit, make it easier to scroll through your text by collapsing the headings.

Hover over the heading title, then click the triangle icon that appears next to it to hide the content. If you want to hide all headings at once, right-click on any heading, and select Expand/Collapse > Collapse All Headings .

5. Automatically Sort References by Alphabetical Order

The works cited list is an essential section in any higher education assignment and is usually sorted by alphabetical order. You’ve likely added references to the list as you cite them in your essay, but when it comes to sorting at the end, it’s unfeasible and time-consuming to sort them manually. You can simply sort them automatically in Microsoft Word.

Select all your references and go to the Home tab. Under the Paragraph section, click the Sort icon (A and Z, with a downward arrow). In the Sort by field, choose Paragraphs . In the Type field, select Text . Then, select Ascending and click OK . The list will now be sorted by alphabetical order.

However, you might notice a couple of outliers. For example, when some references start with symbols instead of a letter, they will all likely be pushed to the very top. These are the few ones you’ll then need to manually reinsert into your list correctly.

6. Use Find and Replace to Avoid Spelling Mistakes

Whether they’re textbooks or journal articles, every student has probably encountered authors with surnames that are a little tricky to spell. Typing the name over and over for each in-text citation is prone to human error. To avoid misspellings, you can use Find and Replace.

First, use a unique abbreviation as a placeholder when you write your assignment. I recommend including a number in this abbreviation. This is because if your abbreviation only consists of letters, there’s a chance that this short combination of letters may have appeared elsewhere, as a part of a word, in your essay.

Once you’re done with the body content, it’s time to replace the abbreviation with the actual surname. In the Home tab, click Replace in the Editing tab. In the Find what field, type your abbreviation. In the Replace with field, type the actual author's name. Then, click Replace All . All your abbreviations will now be replaced with the correct author surname.

7. Insert Your Picture Into an Invisible Table

If you haven’t quite got the hang of formatting pictures in Microsoft Word, here’s a simple alternative that helps guarantee your image won’t cause your text to break up at weird places: insert your picture into an invisible table.

Go to the part of the text where you want your picture to appear. Press Enter to go to a new paragraph. Head to the Insert tab, click Table , and select one box to create a 1x1 table. With the cursor inside your table, click Pictures > Insert Picture > This Device to upload your picture into the document.

You can resize your picture within the table. Once you’re satisfied, highlight the table, go to the Table Design tab, click Borders > No Border . The black table border will then disappear. Your picture now appears to be perfectly fitted between two paragraphs of text.

8. Have an Overview of Multiple Page at Once

When you’re almost done editing, it’s best to scroll through all the pages to make sure there are no odd blank pages, separate sections, or incorrect image displays. But if you have more than 20 pages worth of content, scrolling through that much content quickly is just dizzying.

Instead, go to the View tab. In the Zoom section, click Multiple Pages . This zooms out your Microsoft Word document , so you can view two or three pages at once. You can also click the Zoom slider at the bottom right to zoom out even more and view more pages at once.

9. Automatically Create a Table of Contents

One of the final assignment components is the table of contents. If you’ve been manually keying in each heading, typing a line of periods that end with the heading’s corresponding page number, and double-checking the said page number yourself, it’s time to let Microsoft Word handle the task.

First, make sure you have applied the correct style to your headings. You can check this by clicking on each heading and see which style is selected in the Home tab. Then, number the pages of your Microsoft Word document .

Finally, go to the blank page where you want to insert your Table of Contents. Head to the References tab, click on Table of Contents , and select one of the Automatic Tables . Microsoft Word instantly generates a table of contents for you.

Improve Your Editing Process in Microsoft Word

By applying the above tips, you can revise your assignment more quickly and effectively without burdening yourself with eye fatigue. Cut down on the excessive scrolling and other manual tasks that can be done automatically by Microsoft Word.

Plus, saving time on editing means you have even more time to proofread and review your essays thoroughly, enabling you to produce higher-quality essays and reports.

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Easily Format Word Docs from Scratch or Using Templates

Last Updated: July 30, 2024 Fact Checked

Formatting the Layout

Formatting text, adding pictures, graphs, & tables, using a formatted template, saving in other formats.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Megaera Lorenz is an Egyptologist and Writer with over 20 years of experience in public education. In 2017, she graduated with her PhD in Egyptology from The University of Chicago, where she served for several years as a content advisor and program facilitator for the Oriental Institute Museum’s Public Education office. She has also developed and taught Egyptology courses at The University of Chicago and Loyola University Chicago. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 436,890 times. Learn more...

Microsoft Word is the world's most popular word processing app. Depending on what kind of legal, formal, or personal paper you’re writing, each has its own formatting guidelines. Fortunately, Microsoft Word makes it easy to format the layout, text, and other objects in your document. If you’re new to using Microsoft Word, don’t worry. You can be formatting your document like a pro in no time. This wikiHow guide will teach you simple ways to format a Word document on your PC or Mac computer.

Things You Should Know

• You can find most of the formatting tools you’ll need in the Ribbon menu at the top of your document.
• If you don’t want to do all the formatting from scratch, try using one of Word’s premade templates.
• Save your document in different file formats using the Save a Copy or Save As menu.

• The Menu Bar is the area at the top of the screen where you will find File , Edit , View , and other important menu commands.
• The Ribbon is at the top of your workspace and contains icons, menus, and shortcuts to common tasks.

• These are the buttons that look like a small version of a document, with small black lines arranged according to their button's alignment function.
• You can also adjust alignment by selecting the text and objects you want to align, right-clicking the selection, and choosing Paragraph . Select your preferred alignment from the Alignment menu under the General header.
• You can either set the alignment for the whole document or just a selected piece of text.

• If you haven't begun typing or adding content to your Word document, click the Home tab, click the "Line and Paragraph Spacing" icon (a row of lines with vertical arrows to the left of the lines pointing up and down, and select an option.
• If your document already has text or other content, press Ctrl + A (PC) or Cmd + A (Mac) to select everything in the document, right-click the selection, and choose Paragraph . You can then choose your desired spacing from the "Line Spacing" menu.
• For a single-spaced document, choose 1.0 . For double-spacing, choose 2.0 .
• Many professional documents, like college essays and cover letters, should be double-spaced.

• This will change the virtual size of the document you’re writing as well as the actual size of the printout.

• To set the header of your document, double-click on the topmost part of the page, and the header field will appear. You can also click the Insert tab and select Header .
• Footers are just like headers. All text in the footer will appear at the bottom of each page of your document. To set the footer, double-click on the bottommost part of the page, and the footer field will appear. You can also use the Footer button on the Insert tab.
• You can also format your headers and footers by selecting the View tab and clicking Header and Footer on the list. This action will open the headers and footers on your page and allow you to edit them.

• For example, you can use section or page breaks to help you format your page numbers so that the numbering restarts with each new section.

• If you want to use your own margin measurements, click Custom Margins at the very bottom of the drop-down list to set your own.

• The Columns button looks like a rectangle with two vertical columns of blue lines on it.
• If you want to create one, two , or three columns, you can do so from the preset options. If you'd like to create more, you'll need to choose More Columns from the bottom of the dropdown menu.
• Note that this column option is different from the columns you get when you insert items like tables on your document.

• These buttons can be found side by side on the Ribbon , near the alignment buttons. The Numbering button displays three small lines with numbers to the left of the lines and the Bullets button displays three small lines with bullet points to the left of the lines.
• There’s also a third button that allows you to create more elaborate multi-level list styles, which is useful for formatting outlines .

• Before you apply a style, you can see all of the available styles and preview how they will appear when applied.
• On the Home tab, click a style to apply it to selected text.
• Click the Styles Pane button (the arrow pointing down and to the right) to view and select from advanced Style options.
• By default, Word applies a paragraph style (for example, Heading 1) to the entire paragraph. To apply a paragraph style to part of a paragraph, select only the specific part that you wish to modify.

• On Windows, open File , select Options , and click Display . Tick the box next to Show all formatting marks .
• In Word for Mac, open the Word menu, then Preferences , then View . Check the box next to All in the Show Non-Printing Characters section of the View menu.

• The View menu also lets you zoom in and out on your document.
• You can also change your view with the buttons and zoom slider at the bottom right side of the document pane, or with the View tab in the Ribbon .

• By default, they will be set to the size and font associated with your document’s current Style settings. For example, if you’re using Word’s default template, the Normal style will use Calibri as the default font and 12 pt. as the default text size.
• Always consider the formatting guidelines of the document you are writing when choosing the font style and size.
• The standard font for most college and professional papers is Times New Roman font, text size 12.

• Just click the buttons to make your text bold, underlined, or italicized.
• In this section, you can also find special text formatting options such as Strikethrough, Subscript, and Superscript.

• You can also add special text effects with the Text Effects button, which looks like a capital A with a glowing blue border.

• You can also insert an image by going to the Insert tab, then clicking Pictures . Select one of the options to browse for images on your computer, the web, or Word’s gallery of stock photos.
• You can also insert graphics or other media (such as video or audio clips) using the Shapes , Icons , or 3D Models , and Media buttons.

• Right-click (or ctrl-click , on a Mac) on the image and hover over Wrap Text . Select the alignment that best suits your document. You will see a preview as you hover over each option.
• To change the location of the image in the document, select the image and then hold the Ctrl key . While holding the key, use the arrow keys to move the picture around the document.
• When you right-click or ctrl-click your image, you’ll also see an option in the context menu to add a caption under your image.

• Making corrections or adding artistic filters to the image
• Adding style effects, such as a drop shadow or frame, to the picture
• Entering alt text
• Tweaking the position of your image or changing the text-wrap settings

• Depending on the type of chart or graph you choose, Word may automatically launch Excel and create a new spreadsheet, where you can enter data for your chart.

• Insert Table opens a pop-up menu where you can specify parameters like the number of rows and columns and whether or not the contents of the table autofit your document window.
• The Draw Table tool allows you to draw the table with your mouse directly in the document.
• Once you start creating a table, you’ll see several new table editing tools in the Layout tab.

• If you don’t see a template you like, use the Search bar at the top of the window to find one that fits your needs. For instance, use keywords like “flyer,” “resume,” or “research paper” to find different styles of templates.

• To select a single word, double-click it. You can select longer pieces of text by clicking and dragging your mouse, or positioning your cursor at the start of the selection and holding down Shift while pressing the Right Arrow key.
• You can also select and move, delete, or replace other elements in the template, such as images, graphs, or tables.

• You can also make any other types of changes you like using the rest of the tools in the ribbon menu or Format menu.

• If it’s a brand-new document that you haven’t already saved, select Save As… instead.

• Check out the list of file formats that are supported in word here .

Community Q&A

• Unless free-handedly writing your paper, consult the guidelines of your document first before adjusting its format.
• Besides the header, footer, and page layout formats (which affect the entire document), all the other formatting tools can be applied only on specific parts of the document.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-section-breaks-to-change-the-layout-or-formatting-in-one-section-of-your-document-4cdfa638-3ea9-434a-8034-bf1e4274c450
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/show-or-hide-tab-marks-in-word-84a53213-5d02-404a-b022-09cae1a3958b#ID0EBBD=Windows
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/download-free-pre-built-templates-29f2a18d-29a6-4a07-998b-cfe5ff7ffbbb

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