How to spot home work?

**Alf** · 11-22-2012, 03:08 AM

Forum rules says

In this forum we cannot allow direct help with homework or assignment questions

But how do you determine that an OP’s question is home work?

For me the main criteria are a first time poster with a solver problem. As solver is an excel add-in that most user don’t see a need for so when somebody need to set up an advertising model with a budget of millions of dollars I do get suspicious.

If solver is not setup in the uploaded file that strengthen my suspicion and finally when the OP says he must use solver. He doesn’t know why or how but he must have a solver solution then I’m convinced that this is a home work problem.

So I would like to know what other telltale mark do you look for.

Alf

**arlu1201** · 11-22-2012, 03:28 AM

Alf,

I look for similar signs. Sometimes the OP says, i need to have it this way or i should get the solution only using formulae.

Its a lil tough though but sometimes the way the first post is framed itself, gives out a lot of clues.

**TMS** · 11-22-2012, 04:23 AM

Often, it just sounds like a homework question, copied straight out of the book:

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-form...-function.html

**Alf** · 11-23-2012, 03:18 AM

but sometimes the way the first post is framed itself, gives out a lot of clues

Yes I’ve seen an uploaded file where the tab name was “Chapter 5 Exercise 3”

copied straight out of the book

I also do get suspicious if the fist tab looks a bit “unusual” but then I guess forum policy should be one of “giving OP’s the benefit of doubt”. After all this is a help forum for people with excel probem.

Alf