A Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) is an individual who has successfully demonstrated proficiency in one or more Microsoft Office programs including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access or Outlook by taking a certification exam. Depending on what type of job you are aiming for, certification may give you an edge against your competition as you can use your technology certification to prove that you have the skills you need to succeed in today’s competitive job market. MOS Certification may also allow you to differentiate yourself, prove your skills, enhance your job performance and advance your career.
Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications are currently available for Microsoft Office Specialist, Expert or Master and include Office 365 Apps or Office 2019. According to Certiport, demonstrating you are that individual with the Microsoft Office Specialist Associate pathway, can set you up for a myriad of opportunities down the road. MOS Certifications are also available for Microsoft Office 2013 and Microsoft Office 2016.
Microsoft Office Specialist Associate
Download Certification Objectives for:
Microsoft Word Office Specialist – Demonstrate a number of Word tasks, such as creating and managing documents, formatting text, paragraphs and sections, creating tables and lists, applying references and inserting and formatting objects.
Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Certification – Demonstrate the fundamentals of creating and managing worksheets and workbooks, creating cells and ranges, creating tables, applying formulas and functions and creating charts and objects.
Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint Certification – Demonstrate your ability to create and manage presentations, insert and format shapes and slides, create slide content, apply transitions and animations and manage multiple presentations.
Microsoft Office Specialist Outlook Certification – Demonstrating your ability to customize the Outlook user interface format message content, create or insert graphic elements, and send and respond to emails and meeting requests. They can also manage and share multiple calendars, schedule meetings and appointments, create contact records and tasks, and set up contact groups to facilitate communication with other Outlook users.
According to Certiport, an individual earning this certification has approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience with the product, has proven competency at an industry entry-level and is ready to enter into the job market.
All Microsoft Office Specialist exams are administered by Certiport. There is a lot of information on their website about the testing process and exams you need to pass to get certified. You can also locate a testing center near you on their online Certiport locator.
According to the Certiport Testing Center, the Core‐level exams require that users should be familiar with and know how to use at least 80% of the features and capabilities of the particular Microsoft Office application chosen. They state that users would include people from a wide variety of job roles from almost all areas of professional, student, and personal life.
Microsoft recommends that you prepare for exams on your own or find outside training for the practice, resources, and support needed. Each exam has a preparation guide that lists available resources. Information regarding each individual Microsoft Office Specialist exam and frequently asked questions can be found on Microsoft.com.
