Do I need to follow APA style in my doctoral writing assessment essay?

No, you do not need to follow APA style in your essay. Not all doctoral students begin their programs knowing APA. You will learn that style throughout your program, and so at this early stage in your studies, assessors do not score for APA style or formatting. However, you do need to cite any outside material that you paraphrase, summarize, or quote, to avoid plagiarism. You can use any documentation style for your citations and references. APA style is one way that you could cite and reference sources, and you can learn more about how to appropriately cite and reference sources on the Writing Center’s website.

For more information:
Doctoral Writing Assessment Website
E-mail the Doctoral Writing Assessment Team