Questions students ask most
Short answers to the things that come up every term. If you're setting up for the first time, the Getting Started pages walk through ALEKS, Excel, and the DQ workflow in more depth.
Setting up the pieces you'll need.
Do I need Excel installed on my computer?
Not strictly — but it's usually better. GCU gives every student free access to Microsoft 365 (including Excel) through office.com. If your computer can install desktop Excel, do that — it's faster and more reliable for the course workbooks. Chromebook users can run Excel Online in the browser and still complete every assignment.
Can I use Google Sheets instead of Excel?
Not recommended. The DQ and Major Assignment templates use Excel features (named ranges, specific formulas, formatting) that Google Sheets either handles poorly or doesn't carry over cleanly. Stick with Excel — desktop or online — to make sure your work opens correctly when your instructor reviews it.
What happens if I rush through the Initial Knowledge Check?
ALEKS uses the Initial Knowledge Check to decide how many of the 208 topics you'll need to learn through ALEKS homework. If you rush or guess, ALEKS puts more topics on your plate than you actually need, which means more homework across the term. Take it seriously, use scratch paper, and click "I don't know" on anything unfamiliar — honesty gives ALEKS the signal it needs to calibrate correctly.
Day-to-day questions students ask most often.
What counts as a “substantive” DQ post?
Two things: show your math and connect it to the topic. Every DQ post should include the specific work you did — a formula, a computed value, a screenshot of your Excel — not just a conclusion. And it should tie back explicitly to the concept the DQ asks about ("this uses the L2 amortization formula because…"). Two sentences of arithmetic plus one sentence of context usually clears the bar. One-line replies like "I got $500" don't earn the participation credit even when the number is right.
My Excel formula gives a different answer than the walkthrough — what do I do?
Three usual culprits, in order of likelihood:
(1) Missed a $ on a cell reference. If your formula uses a fixed
value (a tax rate, a mortgage APR), that reference needs to be absolute (like
$B$28) so it doesn't drift as you copy the formula down.
(2) Wrong range in a SUM. One row off at the top or bottom is easy to miss.
(3) Percent not converted to a decimal. If the walkthrough uses 0.07 and you typed 7, your answer will be 100× off.
Check these three first. If none of them explain it, screenshot your workbook and email your instructor — sometimes the walkthrough itself has a bug we should fix.
ALEKS says my pie is at 100% — am I done with ALEKS for the term?
No. ALEKS tracks two things separately: your knowledge-check score (the pie) and your weekly homework requirement. Even if the pie fills all the way, the course still requires weekly ALEKS work — usually a set number of hours or topics reviewed each week. Check your syllabus for the exact weekly requirement, and keep logging time in ALEKS even after the pie hits 100%.
Can I use notes or a calculator on the Mastery Check?
Yes to both. The Mastery Check is a self-check, not a proctored exam — use notes, a calculator, Excel, or anything else you'd use during regular study time. The point is to confirm you can produce the right answer in a real workflow, not to test memorization. If you can't get to a passing score even with tools available, that's the signal to go back to the lesson before attempting the DQ or the exam.
Can I retake the ALEKS review questions?
Yes, for Topics 1–6. Each Review is six fixed questions with unlimited attempts — work through them as many times as you need to feel confident. Topic 7's cumulative Final Exam Review is different; it's a larger, more varied review designed as exam warm-up.
How is my final grade calculated?
Check your syllabus for the exact breakdown — grade weights vary by section. In general, MAT-144 splits credit across ALEKS homework, weekly DQ posts, Major Assignments, and the Final Exam. The syllabus is the source of truth. If the syllabus disagrees with anything on this site, follow the syllabus.
Reporting issues and how this site sits relative to the official course.
A walkthrough is missing, wrong, or unclear — what do I do?
Email your course instructor with the specific location — "the Topic 3 Q2 walkthrough shows the wrong column" is much more useful than "the site has an error." Walkthroughs are authored by the listed instructors, and specific feedback is the fastest path to a fix.
Is this site affiliated with GCU?
No. This is an independent study resource maintained by individual instructors as a companion to the course. It's not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by GCU. The official course — its syllabus, assignments, and grading — is owned and run by GCU through the student portal. If anything here ever conflicts with the course portal, the course portal is the source of truth.