FAQ

If you're using a textbook published by Cengage, then yes, access to WebAssign for your course, and all Cengage online homework platforms, is included in the Cengage Unlimited plan that begins at $124.99 for 4-months access.

Cengage Unlimited is a student savings plan that offers you complete access to the entire Cengage eTextbook library, the FREE Cengage mobile app, at least 4 FREE hardcopy textbook rentals and more starting at $79.99. If you also need access to Cengage online homework platforms like WebAssign, the $124.99 plan option is for you.

Student accounts are created in one of two ways, depending on how your instructor has decided to handle enrollment. If you are a new student to WebAssign, we recommend you start with our Instructions for Students New to WebAssign.

• If your instructor has chosen to use Self-Enrollment, he or she will provide you with a Class Key. If you have a Class Key, click on “I Have A Class Key” under Students or “Enter Class Key” at the top of webassign.com
• If your instructor has chosen to upload a roster to WebAssign, he/she will provide you with a username and password
• If you’re not sure which choice your instructor has made, please ask him/her, or consult your syllabus or a TA
• After you log in, you can enter an access code you purchased earlier, or you can purchase one online

Great! Your class key enables you to create an account (or use one you already have), and you will be automatically added to the correct course and section. Enter your class key and log in. Need more help? Download our Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions.

To use WebAssign, your instructor must provide you with either a username and password for WebAssign, or a class key, such as "myschool 1234 5678." Check your syllabus for this information or ask a TA or your instructor.

Class keys place you in the correct WebAssign class. Access codes give you paid access to the class materials.

Your instructor provides a class key if he or she has chosen to use self-enrollment for your class. If your instructor chose to upload the roster instead, then there is no class key and he or she will provide you with your username and password. See your syllabus or ask your instructor or TA if your class is self-enrolled.

There is a 14-day grace period for payment, starting on the first day of class. You can enter an access code purchased at a bookstore—or pay for WebAssign access online—any time during the grace period.

You need to contact your instructor to get the class key specific to your class.

The class key is usually your school's institution code followed by 8 numbers. Once you get the correct class key, click on “I Have A Class Key” under Students or “Enter Class Key” at the top of webassign.com. This displays a page with three entry boxes for you to input your class key. Enter the institution code in the first box, four numbers in the second box and the last four numbers in the third box. Then confirm that you are now in the right class.

If you already have an account for any Cengage learning platform (WebAssign, MindTap, SAM or OWL), you can use those credentials to log in at this time. If you do not have an account, choose the option to create an account.

When following the steps to create a new account, make sure you jot down or remember the information as you will need it on the subsequent page, which asks for your username, password, first and last name, email and student ID number. This is how you log in to WebAssign and how we will identify you if you have any issues.

Once you submit, you will be enrolled in WebAssign and can log in with the information you provided.

Next you will be taken to a page that prompts you to purchase an access code online, enter one that came with your book or continue your free trial.

You can use your free trial until it expires, but we recommend that you input your physical access code, so you do not forget it or purchase one online at this time. If you continue with your free trial, you will be prompted for these same three options every time you log in to WebAssign.

Well, that certainly makes things easy. Log in. Need more help? Download our Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Your instructor may have inadvertently provided you with an incorrect class key. You need to contact your instructor and request the correct class key for the course in which you’re registered.

Your instructor should also remove you from his/her roster for the incorrect course for which you were registered to avoid any confusion.

To manage your profile information, log in to WebAssign and locate "My Profile", which will either be on the left side navigation bar (if minimized, select the head icon) or behind the gear icon on the header.

Your Student ID must be entered at the time of account creation. If you did not include your Student ID at the time the account was created, we can enter it in for you if you create a customer support case, or you can contact your instructor to have him/her add it to your account.

The cost of WebAssign varies based on the textbook your instructor has selected. Once you’ve logged into the platform, you’ll view all of your purchasing options for your title. And remember, if your textbook costs more than $119 or you’re taking multiple courses using Cengage textbooks, Cengage Unlimited could be a more affordable option for you.

There are four ways to obtain an access code:

1. Purchase a textbook that is bundled with an access code card, and enter the code after logging into WebAssign. Important! Before opening the access code, ensure that you purchased the correct textbook by checking that the prefix for your access card matches the textbook. If they do not match, please make sure that you purchased the correct textbook. If you did, then ask your instructor to ensure that the correct textbook has been selected in WebAssign.
2. Purchase an access code card separately at your bookstore, and enter the code after logging into WebAssign. Important! Before going to the bookstore, find the matching prefix for your textbook title to ensure that you purchase the correct access code card. Enter the access code after logging into WebAssign.
3. Purchase an access code online after logging into your WebAssign account. This method is the easiest because WebAssign automatically provides a correct code for each course. A credit card or PayPal account is needed for this option.
4. Some institutions, particularly secondary schools, provide access code cards to students. Ask your instructor if you're unsure.

Note: You must be on the roster of an active WebAssign course in order to purchase access directly through WebAssign.

Since your course(s) are now accessed through a custom login page, a new WebAssign account was created for you. Your access code must be transferred to your new account by the WebAssign staff.

Please contact Customer Support and tell us your previous username and your current username. If the code was a multi-term code and is transferable, we can apply it to your new account.

Phone Support

Toll free: 800.354.9706

Student Support Hours

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We’re here 24/7

Single term access lasts for the duration of a single course in WebAssign.

Lifetime of Edition (LOE) or Multi-term access means that students who take another WebAssign course using the same book and edition do not need to purchase access again.

Since WebAssign works with copyrighted material, there is no form of access code that works for multiple textbooks or for all WebAssign courses.

Most WebAssign access codes are valid only for one class and one term. In addition, access codes are tied to the textbook and edition with which they are used.

However, if you are taking two courses that use the exact same textbook and edition, are using the same account for both courses, and have a multi-term access code (or Lifetime of Edition) it will work for both courses. This is also true from term to term.

If your code is a single-term access code, or the courses use two different textbooks, the access code will not work for both courses, and you must purchase additional access.

If you are using Blackboard to access WebAssign, log in to WebAssign via Blackboard. Need more help? Download our Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions.

When students are going through Blackboard and receive this message, it could be one of a few issues.

Your browser may not be set to allow third party cookies. This is especially common in many versions of Safari. You can read more in our Student Help for steps to ensure third-party cookies are enabled in your browser.

If third-party cookies are enabled and you have just started receiving this error, you may need to clear your web browser’s cookies and cache. Steps vary by browser and can be found below:

Firefox
Safari
Chrome
Internet Explorer

If none of these steps work, try a different web browser to see if it is a browser-specific issue.

If you are using Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Sakai, log in to WebAssign via your LMS.

This can vary by the assignment options selected by the instructor of the course, but in most cases you should see a "submitted" banner at the top of the page, shortly after clicking the submit button.

In WebAssign, there is no need to submit the assignment as a whole if the questions were already submitted individually. If you see a correct or incorrect mark next to your answer for a question, that question was submitted. If all of the questions have a correct or incorrect mark, the assignment has been completely submitted.

If the course instructor has elected to turn off correct/incorrect marks for students, the easiest way to view whether a question has been submitted is to click the plus sign next to the question number to see if a submission has been used.

For more information, see submitting assignments in our Student Help.

Instructors determine whether to enable extension requests on assignment due. If your instructor allows extension requests, submit an extension request to him/her for review and determination.
To make a manual extension request, if enabled:

1. While working on your assignment, click Extension Request.
2. Click the Manual tab.
3. Enter your message and click Submit.

Your instructor will review your request and can choose to approve it, deny it, or request additional information from you before making a decision.

Yes, you can receive email reminders about upcoming assignment due dates or when your instructor posts an announcement, sends you a private message, or responds to your extension request or Ask Your Teacher message.

To request email notifications:

1. Select the Bell icon on the header
2. On the Settings tab, select the notifications you want to receive
3. Choose “Save.” A warning is displayed if you do not have a verified email address in WebAssign
4. Click the “Notification Contact Info” tab and verify that your email address is correct

To update your email address:

1. Select “edit”
2. Enter your new email address
3. Enter your password
4. Select “Save”
5. Check your email for the new email address
6. Open the message from [email protected] with the subject "Your WebAssign Email Address”
7. Click the link in the email or paste it into your browser's address bar. If necessary, log in to WebAssign
8. Your email address is updated in WebAssign

There are multiple ways to enter the pi symbol in WebAssign.

You can type the letters 'pi' and, if it is a mathPad/calcPad question, they will automatically convert to the pi symbol.

You can also find the pi symbol under the Greek section of mathPad or calcPad. Click the arrow to expand the first Greek section, and a button for the pi symbol will be there.

If the question has a mathPad/calcPad there will be a symbol for exponents. On the mathPad, it can be found by clicking the arrow to the right of the square root symbol. Once you click this button, you can enter the exponent.

You can also make an exponent by using the "^" key. For example, 2 to the 2nd power is written as 2^2.

For bases you can use the _ (underscore) key. For example 2_2 subscripts

For more information on notations read the mathPad Reference or calcPad Reference in the Student Help.

It is likely that your assignment has content that requires Flash and as such you should make sure you have an updated version for your browser. Please follow the instructions below to uninstall and reinstall Flash:

To Uninstall Flash, follow the instructions to uninstall Flash for your operating system.

Reinstall Flash:

1. Download a current version.
2. Save the file to a location that you have access to, such as My Documents.
3. After the file has finished downloading, close your browser.
4. Find the file on your computer and complete the installation process.
5. Once Flash has been reinstalled, open your browser and try completing your assignment.

You may also want to try a different browser.

If the only option you see is to purchase 'Homework access with eBook,' then the textbook that your instructor chose for the course is only available for purchase as a bundle. In this instance, purchasing 'homework only' is not an option.

This also means that an access code that does not include the eBook will not be applicable to your course.

Issues with the eBook can be caused by several things.

If the eBook will not load (displays a blank page), you may need to clear your web browser's cookies/cache. The steps for each browser can be found below:

Firefox
Safari
Chrome
Internet Explorer

If the eBook is asking you to log in, you may need to clear your web browser's cookies/cache or enable third-party cookies.

To configure your browser to accept third-party cookies refer to the instructions for your browser:

Firefox 12 or later
Internet Explorer 9 or later
Safari 5.1 or later
Chrome 19 or later