These are the most common problems experienced by students using WebAssign:

1. I can't log in.
2. I can't register my access code.(Not all students are required to use access codes. Check with your instructor if you are unsure about access codes.)
3. WebAssign is down. I can't get to the WebAssign site at
http://webassign.net/login.html.
4. I can't see my class.
5. I want an extension on my homework.
6. WebAssign lost my homework (or submission). It is not there!
7. I don't know how to answer problem #2 on assignment 3.
8. I answered the question correctly, but WebAssign graded it as incorrect.
9. I had 10 points out of 12, but now I only have 2 points. Why?

Checklist

• Are you at the correct site?
  
• Do you have cookies enabled on your browser?
  
• Are you entering your log-in information exactly as your teacher gave it to you (case sensitive)?
  
• Are you behind a firewall?
  
• Are you using AOL 4.0?
  

Here's what should happen when you login to WebAssign:

1. Start Netscape or Internet Explorer (IE)

2. Go to https://webassign.net/login.html

3. Select your login site

• Enter your Username
  
• Enter your Institution
  
• Enter your Password
  
• Click Submit
  

Make sure that your entries are entered in the right case (uppercase or lowercase letters). Sometimes IE changes the case after you type an entry.

4. You should see your assignment summary page showing your name in the upper left-hand corner, your school, your course, your teacher, and the current date. (If you have more than one class in WebAssign, you may have to select the department or the class.)

5. When your list of homework assignments appears, click the title of the assignment that you want to work on. The titles are listed under the word "Assignment" in the Current Assignments section. The first assignment listed will have the earliest due date.

6. Proceed with your homework. When you are finished, click the Submit for Grading link. Depending on the type of feedback your teacher has selected for the assignment, you may get a page showing your score.

7. If you are done, click the Logout link in the upper right-hand corner. To ensure complete security of your records, WebAssign recommends that you exit or quit the browser.

Q. I don't know my Username, Institution, and/or Password. What should I do?
A. You should ask your teacher. If your teacher is not immediately available, ask your friends or try one of the following suggestions:

Your Username could be the name of your email account, your first two initials and the first six letters of your last name, or a combination of part of your last name and social security number. Your Institution is your school name, which is usually shortened. If you are attending a university, then you would enter the name associated with your domain name. For example, suppose you attend Harvard University. Harvard has a domain name of harvard.edu. In this case, you would enter "harvard." Your Password is initially set by your teacher. You should change it to something you can remember. If you forget your password, only your teacher can tell you what it is.

Q. Can you tell me my password?
A. Unfortunately, we have no way of verifying who is making a request. Therefore, for security purposes, only your teacher can tell you your password.

Q. I received the following message: "You do not appear to be listed with any department. Please contact your teacher to be added to the roster." What does this mean?
A. This generally means that you have typed the information incorrectly. Try logging in again. If you are certain you have correctly entered your information, you should contact your teacher and find out why you are not on the class roster.

Q. I received the following message: "It appears that someone else has recently used this browser to access WebAssign. Click here to try again. If the problem persists, please contact WebAssign." What does this mean?
A. Someone else used your browser on your computer to submit WebAssign homework. You should click the "here" link to try again. If this does not work, then exit or quit the browser and restart it again. This procedure will remove any information stored about the previous user, and you should be able to log in successfully.

Q. I am unable to access the login page at https://www.webassign.net/login.html?
A. You are likely behind a firewall. Check to see if you can access other secure websites such as Paypal or Yahoo. If you can access these sites you are likely not behind a firewall. If you are unable to access these sites you will need to open port 443 on your firewall so that you can access secure webpages.

Q. I am using AOL 4.0 and cannot get WebAssign to work. What should I do?
A. AOL 4.0 does not work with WebAssign. Upgrade to AOL 5.0.

Checklist

• Do you have a WebAssign access card?
• Have you scratched off the coating in the middle of the card to reveal your unique access code number?
• Did you click the registration link in the Announcement field?

Q. How do I get a registration code?
A. Your teacher will tell you how to get your registration code, which is printed on a WebAssign access card. Either your teacher will pass out the cards in class or you will have to purchase one in your bookstore.

Q. What do I do to register for WebAssign?
A. Log in to WebAssign. Click the link in the Announcement field, "Please click here to register." Enter the number that you see when you scratch off the coating on your access card.

Q. What happens if I forget to register before the deadline?
A. If you do not register before the deadline, you will not be able to see any of your current or previous assignments. They will be hidden from view until you register using the code from your WebAssign access card. Your records are not lost. They are just hidden until you register.

Q. What if I lose my WebAssign access card?
A. If you lose your WebAssign access card before you register, you will have to make arrangements with your teacher to get another one or purchase another one from your bookstore. Alternatively, you can buy another one directly from WebAssign. Click here if you want to purchase one from WebAssign.

Q. What happens if I register for one class and then transfer to another section?
A. First, your instructor must drop you from your old section. Then your new instructor must add you to the new section. You should then register immediately for the new class. The registration number from the access card you used for the old class will still be valid for the new section, providing your previous instructor has dropped you from the first section.

Q. Can I use the same registration number for more than one class?
A. In general, the answer is no unless you have purchased an access code that is valid for more than one term. A single term card is valid for one class for one term only. Another student cannot use it. If you have an access card that is valid for one year, the number can be used for two semester-long classes or three quarter-long classes. Keep your access card in a safe place. You will need it to register for the other terms. If you lose your card, you may have to purchase a new one.

Q. Can I get a WebAssign Access Card online?
A. You can order a registration number online if you have a valid credit card. Click here to place your order. You will be sent a registration number via e-mail. Record the number in a safe place. We do not mail out individual access cards.

Checklist

• Is your connection to the Internet working?
  
• Can you access your school servers?
  
• Can you access national sites like http://www.netscape.com or http://www.yahoo.com?

Q. How do I know if WebAssign is working?
A. Occasionally, online systems stop working. The downtime could last a few minutes or a few hours. The problem may be with your computer, your network connection, the Internet, our network connections, or the WebAssign system itself. We constantly monitor our computer system and local network connections. If our systems are down, we will work diligently to get them back on line. If you are having trouble accessing WebAssign, try again in a few minutes. If that doesn't work, see if your network connections are working by trying to access a national site like Yahoo or Lycos. If you can access them successfully, then WebAssign has a problem. We truly appreciate it when you let us know that you cannot access WebAssign. Please click here to report that WebAssign is not accessible.

Q. I can't get to WebAssign and I must submit my homework. What should I do?
A. If you cannot access WebAssign, please inform your teacher and explain your problem. Your teacher may be willing to give you an extension on your assignment's due date.

Checklist

• Are your registered for the class?
  
• Did you exit or quit the browser before you logged in?
  
• Did you register your access code?
  

Q. I know I am registered in the class, but I don't see the class in WebAssign. What should I do?
A. You should contact your teacher and ask if you are currently registered in the class. Then verify your username and password. You may have been inadvertently dropped from the class. If so, your teacher can reinstate you easily.

Checklist

• Does your teacher give extensions?
• Do you need more submissions rather than an extension?
• Did you start early enough to complete the assignment?

Q. I simply ran out of time and WebAssign wouldn't let me submit my homework. Can you give me an extension?
A. Only your teacher is allowed to grant you an extension.

Q. I used up all of my submissions and need just one more to get a perfect score. Can you give me another submission?
A. Only your teacher is allowed to give you more submissions. The WebAssign Staff cannot.

Checklist

• Can your classmates see their homework for this assignment?
• Did your teacher hide the assignment from the whole class?
• Are you looking at the correct class?
• Does your name appear at the top of the assignment?

Q. My homework is gone. What should I do?
A. WebAssign's database is designed so that it cannot lose student homework submissions. Most likely, the "last view date" set by your teacher has passed, which is why you cannot see the assignment. You should check with other students to see if they are having the same problem. Then check with your teacher and ask if the assignment is supposed to be visible for the whole class.

Checklist

• Have you asked your teacher for help?
• Have you asked your classmates for help?
• Does your instructor use the Help Desk feature in WebAssign?

Q. How can I get help with my homework?
A. Perhaps your classmates or your teacher can help you. Check to see if your teacher is using WebAssign's Help Desk feature. This option allows you to ask questions about a specific assignment. It is easy for your teacher to see which assignment you are having trouble with and to review your previous submissions.

Checklist

• Are other students being graded incorrectly?
• Have you asked your teacher for help?
• Did you rework your solution and check it carefully for errors?

Q. WebAssign is marking my answer as wrong, but I know it is correct. What should I do?
A. If you think you are right, then only your teacher can help you with your homework. Ask whether or not the WebAssign Help Desk is turned on for your class and if someone monitors it for help requests.

Checklist

• Is the first submission or the last submission graded?
• Have you looked at all of your previous submissions?
• Was one of them marked correctly?
• Does your last submission have the correct answers?

Q. Why does WebAssign lose my points?
A. WebAssign's database is designed to prevent losing homework submissions and the number of points. However, there are several other ways that your score can change.

1. You submitted your assignment, and after one of the submissions, you receive a score of 10 points out of 12. Suppose you now leave WebAssign and come back at a later time. You decide to work the assignment again. Rather than clicking Last Submission, you click the assignment title. You will now receive an assignment with all empty answer boxes. In this submission, you correctly answer the two questions that you did not answer during the last submission. When you submit your assignment this time, you will be given credit for the two correct answers, but since all the other answer boxes are empty, you will receive no credit for them. It appears as if you lost your previous 10 points. To prevent this from happening, click Last Submission when reworking a homework assignment and start from there.

2. You can also lose points if someone else knows your username and password and takes your assignment just for fun. WebAssign has a complete record of your work. Just click All Submissions to see this record. Then you can see every answer that you entered for the assignment. If you suspect someone knows your password, change it immediately by clicking Change Password on the top menu bar.

3. On rare occasions, your teacher may have changed the assignment. This will affect the randomization procedure. You will have to rework each problem over again using the new randomized values. WebAssign recommends that you keep complete written notes of your solutions so that you can rework these questions quickly.