How to know what your school requires for APA formatting
Quick answer
To learn what your school requires, gather three documents: your institution's guide, your instructor's rubric or written instructions, and the APA 7 manual. Compare them, note every difference and apply them in this order of priority: instructor, school, then APA itself.
How do I compare my school's guide with APA 7?
Make a two-column table. On the left, each formatting element; on the right, what your school requires. Where the school says nothing, apply APA 7.
What questions should I ask my instructor?
- Which APA edition should I use?
- What paper size and margins?
- What font and size?
- What title page?
- Do I need a table of contents, abstract or appendices?
- Is the final list "References" or "Bibliography"?
- Is there a minimum number of sources?
- May I cite AI tools?
Where do I check each item?
- Title page: title page guide.
- Margins and font: margins and font.
- Final list: reference page.
- AI: how to cite ChatGPT.
Checklist
- School guide and rubric saved
- Differences from APA noted
- Instructor's answers in writing
- Paper checked against that list
Frequently asked questions
Who wins: the instructor, the school or APA?
In that order. Written instructor directions beat the school guide, and the school guide beats the APA manual. Always get the instructions in writing, so there is no misunderstanding when your paper is graded.
What should I ask my instructor about format?
Which APA edition, whether a table of contents is required, which title page, font and margins, whether an abstract is needed, and whether the final list is called References or Bibliography.
Should I keep the instructions in writing?
Yes. Save the school guide, the rubric and any emails from your instructor, with dates. If a grading dispute comes up later, you can show which rule you followed and when you received it.