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APA Format: 7 Steps for Student Essays
Quick answer: To use APA format (7th edition) in a student essay: set up your document with a readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing, 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins and a page number in the top right corner. Add a title page with your bold title, name, school, course, instructor and due date. Repeat the title in bold at the top of your first page of text, cite sources in the text by author and year, and list them on a References page in alphabetical order with hanging indents.
New to APA format? You’re not alone. Plenty of students learn MLA in high school and then meet APA for the first time in a college or university psychology, nursing, education or business course. In this episode of The Homework Help Show, Cath Anne walks you through the main parts of an APA paper and how to put them together.
The episode was recorded in 2019, when the 6th edition of the APA manual was still in use. The 7th edition has since changed a few rules, so the written guide below is updated for APA 7. You’ll find the episode at the end of this post, along with a note on what’s changed.
What Is APA Format?
APA format is the writing and citation style of the American Psychological Association, set out in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The current version is the 7th edition, released in October 2019. It’s the standard style in psychology and is widely used in education, nursing, business, sociology and other social sciences.
APA uses an author-date citation system: you name the author and the year of publication in your text, then give full details on a References page at the end. APA 7 also has separate rules for student papers and professional papers. This guide covers student papers, which is what you’ll be writing for class.
Steps to Using APA Format in Your Essay
Step 1: Set Up Your Document
- Font: APA 7 doesn’t require one font, as long as it’s readable and used consistently. Common choices are 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial or 11-point Georgia.
- Spacing: double-space everything, including the title page, block quotes and References page. Don’t add extra space between paragraphs.
- Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
- Page numbers: in the top right corner of every page, starting with page 1 on the title page.
- Paragraphs: indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch, and keep text left-aligned.
- Spacing after periods: one space after a period at the end of a sentence.
Step 2: Create Your Title Page
Every APA student paper needs a title page. According to the APA Style website, it includes these elements, all centred and double-spaced:
- Paper title: in bold and title case, three or four lines down from the top of the page.
- Your name: one blank double-spaced line below the title.
- Affiliation: your department and school, separated by a comma (for example, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto).
- Course: the course code and name (for example, PSY 201: Introduction to Psychology).
- Instructor’s name
- Due date
Student papers don’t need a running head unless your instructor or school asks for one.
Step 3: Write an Abstract (Only If Required)
An abstract is a short summary of your paper, usually 250 words or fewer. Most student essays don’t need one, but some instructors ask for it, especially for research papers and lab reports. If you need one, put it on its own page after the title page, with the word Abstract bold and centred at the top. The summary itself is a single paragraph with no first-line indent.
Step 4: Format the Main Body
On the first page of your essay, repeat your paper’s title in bold, centred at the top. Then start your introduction on the next line. Don’t add a heading that says “Introduction,” because APA assumes the opening paragraphs introduce the paper.
For a standard essay, the body follows the usual structure of introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. If you need help with that structure, our guide to essay format walks through each part. Research papers and lab reports usually use set sections instead: Method, Results and Discussion.
If your paper uses headings, APA has five levels:
| Level | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Centred, Bold, Title Case |
| 2 | Flush Left, Bold, Title Case |
| 3 | Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case |
| 4 | Indented, Bold, Title Case, Ending With a Period. Text starts on the same line. |
| 5 | Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Ending With a Period. Text starts on the same line. |
Most student essays only need levels 1 and 2. You can find examples of each level on the APA Style headings page.
Step 5: Add In-Text Citations
Whenever you quote, paraphrase or summarize a source, cite it in your text with the author’s last name and the year. You can do this in two ways:
- Parenthetical: Sleep affects memory consolidation (Walker, 2017).
- Narrative: Walker (2017) argues that sleep affects memory consolidation.
A few more rules to remember:
- Two authors: use “&” in parentheses (Smith & Lee, 2021) and “and” in a sentence: Smith and Lee (2021).
- Three or more authors: use the first author’s last name and “et al.” every time, including the first citation (Martin et al., 2020).
- Direct quotes: add the page number (Walker, 2017, p. 45).
- Republished works: give both the original and republished years, such as (Freud, 1900/1953).
Step 6: Build Your References Page
Your References page starts on a new page at the end of your paper.
- Put the word References in bold, centred at the top.
- List entries in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name.
- Use a hanging indent: the first line of each entry is flush left, and the rest are indented half an inch.
- Double-space the whole list, within and between entries.
- Italicize the titles of books, journals and other standalone works.
- Make sure every in-text citation has a matching reference, and every reference is cited in your text.
Here are the basic patterns for the two most common source types:
Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book in sentence case. Publisher.
Journal article: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx
Citation generators can save time, but they often get details wrong, such as capitalization, italics or the edition of APA they follow. Always check what they give you against the APA rules. Finding reliable sources in the first place matters just as much, so see our tips on finding credible sources online.
Step 7: Check Your Instructor’s Requirements
Your instructor’s guidelines always come first. Some professors ask for an abstract, a running head, a specific font or extra details on the title page. Check your syllabus or assignment sheet before you submit.
What Changed From APA 6 to APA 7?
If you learned APA a few years ago, or you’re following an older guide or video, these are the main changes to watch for:
| APA 6 | APA 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Running head | Required on all papers | Not needed on student papers |
| Student title page | Title, name, school | Bold title, name, school, course, instructor, due date |
| Spaces after a period | Two | One |
| Fonts | 12-point Times New Roman | Any readable font, such as Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial or Georgia |
| Three or more authors (in text) | Three to five authors: all names on first citation, then “et al.” | “et al.” from the first citation |
| Book references | Include publisher location | No publisher location |
| DOIs | doi:10.xxxx | https://doi.org/10.xxxx |
APA Format Checklist
- Readable font, used consistently (such as 12-point Times New Roman)
- Double spacing throughout
- 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins
- Page number in the top right of every page
- Title page with bold title, name, affiliation, course, instructor and due date
- Abstract, only if your instructor asks for one
- Bold, centred title at the top of the first page of text
- In-text citations with author and year (and page numbers for quotes)
- References page with a bold, centred title, alphabetical entries and hanging indents
- Every citation matched to a reference, and every reference cited
Frequently Asked Questions
Do APA student papers need a running head?
No. Under APA 7, student papers only need a page number in the header, unless your instructor or school asks for a running head. Professional papers submitted for publication still use one.
Is the title bold in APA format?
Yes. In APA 7, the title is bold on the title page and again at the top of the first page of text. The “References” label is bold too.
Does an APA paper need an abstract?
Usually not for student essays. Include one only if your instructor asks for it. If you do, keep it to 250 words or fewer unless you’re told otherwise.
How many spaces go after a period in APA 7?
One. APA 6 recommended two spaces, but APA 7 changed this to one.
What’s the difference between APA and MLA?
APA uses a title page and cites sources by author and year, while MLA usually skips the title page and cites by author and page number. APA’s reference list is called References, and MLA’s is called Works Cited. See our MLA referencing guide for a closer look at MLA.
Which APA edition should I use?
Use the 7th edition unless your instructor tells you otherwise. It replaced the 6th edition in 2019 and is the current version.
Need Help With APA Formatting?
If you’re short on time or not confident with APA, our team can help. Our editing services can check your formatting and citations against APA 7, and our academic writers can take on full assignments, from research papers to nursing papers. Get a free quote to get started.
Watch EP 35 of The Homework Help Show
Note on this episode: This episode was recorded in 2019 and follows the APA 6th edition. A few of the rules mentioned have since changed in APA 7. Student papers no longer need a running head. The title page now also lists your course, instructor and due date. And APA 7 uses one space after a period, not two. Everything else covered in the episode, including in-text citations, the References page, alphabetical order, hanging indents and double spacing, still applies. For the full APA 7 rules, follow the steps above.
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