IGNOU Assignment Submission Process (2025) Explained

Technology has transformed the face of this century and has made education more accessible and flexible through online and distance learning mode. Education is not confined to the classrooms today and has transcended beyond economic, physical and social barriers. IGNOU or Indira Gandhi National Open University is the largest university in the world, offering educational facilities to lakhs of students in India.

Since students do not have to commute and attend classes daily, they have to follow self-paced learning and appear only for examinations at the designated examination centres. However, assignments are an integral part of the assessment process and account for 30% of the aggregate of their total score. This blog provides a detailed overview of the IGNOU assignment submission process, guidelines to follow, mode of assignment submission, etc. Let’s go through the blog and know all about it.

IGNOU: Promoting Self-Paced Learning

IGNOU distance and online courses can be pursued from anywhere. The courses are highly affordable and curated by academic and industry experts. As per the guidelines of IGNOU University, students should complete their assignments before the term examinations. Assignments carry 30% weightage of the total score, and the term examinations are responsible for the remaining 70% weightage. The questions in the assignments are analytical and descriptive in nature, helping you understand the curriculum of your courses in an enhanced manner.

Why are IGNOU Assignments Important?

The purpose of the assignments is to ensure that learners carefully read through the study materials provided and improve their comprehension to apply their best judgment skills. Consult additional resources, reference books, and related text materials to submit answers to the questions in your assignments.

Complete your responses in all respects to ensure a good grade. Incomplete assignments may be rejected or not considered, which shall affect the 30% assignment weightage of the total exam score.

• ✅
  Submit all assignments and related project work before the due date of the programme.
• ✅
  Submit assignments written in your own handwriting; do not send typed assignments.
• ✅
  Consult with programme coordinators or academic counsellors in case of any doubt or query.

Also Read: How to apply for IGNOU courses?

Before the Deadline Ends: Check the Dates

IGNOU conducts two kinds of exams: term-end exams for semester-based courses and annual exams for annual-based courses. Assignment submission is a prerequisite for appearing in the final examinations. For online and distance courses offered by IGNOU, since students do not attend on-campus classes and follow a self-paced learning method, assignments become especially valuable in helping build relevant skills and knowledge. Students must complete and submit assignments for each course by the due date to be eligible for term or annual examinations.

For semester examinations, since the exams are conducted twice a year, assignments must be submitted according to the guidelines stated for the chosen course:

1. For the January session, the last date of submission is 30th September.

2. For the July session, the last date of submission is usually 31st March.

*Please note that the university may extend the submission date due to exigencies. You can consult the official IGNOU website for any updated information regarding changes in the assignment submission due date.

Submitting Assignments? Know the Instructions and Pre-requisites

IGNOU assignments constitute the formative part of the evaluation process for online or distance learners. Therefore, it is essential to take assignments seriously, answer all questions only after sufficient research, and then submit them on time to be eligible for the final examinations. All questions in an assignment are compulsory.

• ✅
  Do not copy-paste text materials to answer questions.
• ✅
  Research enough, refer to resources, and complete the assignments in your own words and language.

On the first page of your assignment response sheet, mention:

1. Your name

2. Enrolment number

3. Cycle of admission

4. Course code and course title

5. Assignment number

6. Name of the allocated study centre and the regional centre

7. Your address and contact number

8. Date of submission

Additional instructions:

• ✅
  Read all instructions carefully stated in your course guidelines.
• ✅
  Use only A4-size paper for writing your answers.
• ✅
  Printed copies are not accepted; submit only handwritten answers.
• ✅
  Attempt all questions carefully.
• ✅
  Keep a copy of your assignment answer sheets for future reference before submitting.
• ✅
  Answer questions in a clear and easy-to-understand manner.
• ✅
  Allocate time and length of answers according to the marks assigned for each question.

Also Read: Top 10 IGNOU Courses with Fees

IGNOU Assignment Submission Process

It is mandatory for students to submit their assignments at IGNOU study centres in person after completing them before the due date. However, there are a few courses offered by IGNOU for which students can submit their assignments online. There are two ways through which students can submit their IGNOU assignments upon completion:

Offline Submission at Study Centres

• ✅
  Once a student has completed their assignments and is ready to submit them before the due date, they can visit the IGNOU study centre in person.
• ✅
  The study centre checks the submitted answers and sends them to the regional centre.
• ✅
  The centre provides the learner with an acknowledgement slip as proof of submission.

Online Submission at IGNOU Student Portal

• ✅
  Certain programmes allow students to submit assignments through the official IGNOU online portal. This is faster and easier.
• ✅
  Students must first check and confirm if their course allows online submission.
• ✅
  Students need to log in to the official online portal and select their course.
• ✅
  After logging into their profile, they have to upload their assignments in the required PDF/Word format.
• ✅
  Upon successful uploading of the assignment, the portal would display a confirmation message for uploaded assignments.

Track Your IGNOU Assignment Submission

As previously discussed, the IGNOU assignments account for 30% of the total marks of your course; 70% is determined by your performance in the term/annual examination. Whether you have submitted the assignment online or offline, you can check if your assignment has been received and appropriately graded by the IGNOU’s assigned teachers and subject matter experts.

• ✅
  Online submission: Log in to your IGNOU online student portal and check the status of your submitted assignment easily.
• ✅
  Offline submission: Visit your centre and ask for any relevant updates regarding your submitted assignment.

Once you have submitted your assignments, IGNOU, upon receiving the assignment successfully, creates them according to the answers you have written for each exam. Regardless of whether you have submitted the answers to all the questions for a particular exam through online/offline mode, the course instructors for a specific course will give greater assignments based on the accuracy, relevance, and originality of your answers. After your assignment has been graded, you can check your marks by logging into your IGNOU student portal and going to the assignments section.

Also Read: IGNOU Admission 2025: Eligibility, Courses, Fees

Assignment Guidelines: Know the Extras

Apart from all that we have discussed so far regarding the IGNOU assignment submission process, here are a few more instructions and tips you can follow to get the highest grade for your submitted answers in an assignment for a course.

• ✅
  Stick to the word limit: Short notes are usually 200 words, and long answers are 400 words.
• ✅
  Do not copy from self-learning materials or any third-party resources.
• ✅
  No plagiarism is allowed. Answers must be written in your own words.
• ✅
  Submit all answers to the questions carefully. Once you have submitted your assignment through online or offline mode, you cannot make any changes to the answers.
• ✅
  Check and ensure that your submitted work is error-free before submission. You can submit your assignment only once per course, so do not miss the deadline.
• ✅
  Without an assignment submission, you are not eligible to appear for the term examination.
• ✅
  If you miss the deadline, you have to wait for the next session to submit assignments and then appear for the term-end examination.

Summing Up

For all the distance and online courses at IGNOU, the assignment submission process is an essential part of the learning journey. Assignments account for 30% of the total marks for the course, making it necessary for students to submit assignments on time and follow all the guidelines and instructions provided by the university for a particular course.

You have to submit assignments at your IGNOU study centre; however, a few courses allow submission through the online mode. Remember, the better answers you submit for your assignments, the better your final grade in the term examination. Keep checking the IGNOU website for any updates or changes regarding the assignment submission process.