Assignment Guidelines
Preparing Assignment Files for Submission
Assignments should be submitted a single MS-Word or text file that is readable in MS-Word
(e.g., Rich Text Format—RTF).
Submit multiple files only if this is absolutely necessary. For example, you may submit a
supplementary Excel file if it contains information that you cannot easily show by cutting
and pasting the relevant information from Excel into your word-processed document.
Before you request permission to submit scanned assignments, ask yourself this question:
“In a business setting, would I present a handwritten project to my boss/investor/interested
party?” The answer should be an unequivocal “No.” Get into the habit of presenting your
work professionally, in a word-processed document. If you have a valid reason for
submitting handwritten assignments, please contact the FNCE/ECON 300 Course
Coordinator for permission to do so. “I feel more comfortable writing out my answers by
hand” is not a valid reason.
The assignment problems are separated into sections by lessons. As you complete your
responses to assignment problems in a given lesson, add your responses to your
assignment file. At the top of your assignment file, include your first name, last name,
course code (FNCE 300 or ECON 300), and assignment number (e.g., Assignment 1).
Submit each assignment when indicated in the Suggested Study Schedule.
Naming Your Assignment Files
When naming your assignment files, use only alphanumeric characters and a period; do not
use spaces in filenames for assignments. Please use the following convention for naming
your assignment file:
First name_last name_course code_assignment number
(e.g., anna_smith_FNCE300_Assignment1.docx)
How to Show Present Value/Future Value Calculations
You may present your solution using tables like the textbook does:
n i% PV PMT FV
15 10 0 100 Compute FV = 3177.25
Alternatively, you can use parentheses, like this:
FVend(n=15; i%=10; pv=0; pmt=100; compute fv=3177.25)
Formulas also work, and you can use Excel notation (i.e., ^ for exponents and * for
multiplication), or you can use short forms such as SQRT( ) for Square root.
An example of an answer containing Excel notations:
FV = 100*[(1.10^15)–1]/0.1 = 3177.25
A well-written assignment answer allows the reader to easily trace your solution back to the
numbers in the problem. This requirement is key, since a marker cannot give you partial
marks if it’s not clear how you arrived at your calculation.
Significant Digits (Rounding Decimals)
The general rule for decimal places is as follows: if you want your answer to have m decimal
places, keep at least m + 1 decimal places during the calculation process. The more decimal
places kept during the calculation process, the more accurate the answer. Therefore, you
are encouraged to keep as many decimal places as possible during your calculation process,
and only round off numbers when you reach the final answer. Present final results in dollars
to two decimal places (i.e., show pennies) and percentages to two places (i.e., 99.44%, or
in 4 decimal places, 0.9944).
Answers that do not contain an appropriate number of decimal places will be deemed
incorrect and may be penalized (no more than 1 point), at the marker’s discretion.
How Much Detail is Required in Problem-solving Questions for Assignments?
You should include the main steps of a problem-solving process, but not all the calculations.
If you use a formula, three simple steps are expected.
• Step 1, write down the formula.
• Step 2, substitute numbers for the variables in the formula.
• Step 3, write down the final answer.
For example, to calculate a bond value, the three steps would be
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3: Bond value = 848.37.
You may omit step 1; steps 2 and 3 should always be present.
