Turning Motivated Individuals into Office SuperstarsDiscover the only performance-based certification that validates the skills needed to get the most out of Microsoft Office. Whether you want to drive your career or increase your productivity on the job, earning the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification demonstrates the valuable expertise you need to succeed.
Level:
N/A
Audience:
Information workers, students
Type:
Microsoft Certification
You can earn a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification on Microsoft Office programs and Windows operating systems. This certification features Web-based pretests, program-specific certification exams, and a series of Microsoft Press step-by-step books that help you demonstrate expertise in accomplishing essential job tasks across multiple programs. After earning an MOS certification, you receive access to a member Web site where you can print transcripts to demonstrate proof of certification and receive a certificate that verifies your successful completion of the exam. Additionally, professionals who earn this certification gain access to a certification logo that they can display on their resumes and other business materials.
Earning a Microsoft Office Specialist certification can help you differentiate yourself in today's competitive job market, broaden your employment opportunities by displaying your advanced skills, and result in higher earning potential. Microsoft Office Specialist certification can also lead to increased job satisfaction. Research indicates that certified individuals have increased competence, productivity, and credibility with their employers, co-workers, and clients.
For employers, the certification provides skill-verification tools that not only help assess a person's skills in using Microsoft Office programs but also the ability to quickly complete on-the-job tasks across multiple programs in the Microsoft Office system.
On This Page
A Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification helps validate proficiency in using Microsoft Office 2010 and meets the demand for the most up-to-date skills on the latest Microsoft technologies. Candidates who pass a certification exam show that they can meet globally recognized performance standards.
Candidates must pass one certification exam in order to earn a MOS certification.
Certification
Exam number
MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2010
MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2010 Expert
MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2010
MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2010 Expert
MOS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2010
MOS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2010
MOS: Microsoft Office Access 2010
MOS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010
MOS: Microsoft Office OneNote 2010
*Exam in development
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications, which focus on demonstrating skills in using the 2007 Microsoft Office System and the Windows Vista operating system are still very much in demand. Candidates who pass a certification exam show that they can meet globally recognized performance standards.
MOS: Windows Vista for the Business Worker
MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2007
MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Expert
MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007
MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Expert
MOS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
MOS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
MOS: Microsoft Office Access 2007
Note For information about Microsoft Office Project certification, visit the following pages:
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification continues to offer tracks for Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office XP, and Microsoft Office 2000. To earn a MOS certification, you must pass one or more certification exams. MOS certification exams help provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise. These MOS certification exams evaluate a candidate’s overall comprehension of Microsoft Office or Office Project programs, as well as his or her ability to use advanced features and integrate Microsoft Office programs with other software.
United States military personnel and veterans may qualify for reimbursement for Microsoft Office Specialist exam fees.
Find out if you qualify for reimbursement (Gibill.va.gov)
Specialist
Expert
Master
Candidates must pass any one of the following Specialist exams:
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Access
Outlook
Candidates must pass any one of the following Expert exams:
Word Expert
Excel Expert
Candidates must pass three required exams and one elective exam.
Required:
Elective:
Exam
MOS: Word 2003
MOS: Word 2003 Expert
MOS: Excel 2003
MOS: Excel 2003 Expert
MOS: PowerPoint 2003
MOS: Access 2003
MOS: Outlook 2003
MOS: Word 2002
MOS: Word 2002 Expert
MOS: Excel 2002
MOS: Excel 2002 Expert
MOS: PowerPoint 2002
MOS: Access 2002
MOS: Outlook 2002
MOS: Word 2000
MOS: Word 2000 Expert
MOS: Excel 2000
MOS: Excel 2000 Expert
MOS: PowerPoint 2000
MOS: Access 2000
MOS: Outlook 2000
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master certification helps demonstrate an individual's overall comprehension and expertise of Microsoft Office programs. Microsoft Office Specialist Masters have more than a working familiarity with Microsoft Office programs—they are technically skilled to take advantage of the breadth of features efficiently and effectively.
To earn the 2010 Microsoft Office Master certification, you must pass the following MOS exams:
MOS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2010 or MOS Microsoft Office Access 2010
Beginning March 1, 2011, to earn the Microsoft Office 2007 Master certification, you must pass the following MOS exams:
MOS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 or MOS: Microsoft Office Access 2007
Prior to March 1, 2011, to earn the Microsoft Office 2007 Master certification, you must pass the following MOS exams*:
*Note Due to a system issue, if you complete these MOS Master requirements between November 1, 2010, and February 18, 2011, the Master certification will not immediately appear on your Microsoft transcript. After February 18, 2011, your transcript will be automatically updated. You will, however, receive your Master certificate, and your Master status will appear on your online transcript at Certiport.
Visit Certiport (Certiport.com)
To earn the MOS Master certification on Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office XP, you must pass the following MOS exams:
MOS: Word Expert
MOS: Excel Expert
MOS: PowerPoint
MOS: Access or MOS: Outlook
After you successfully complete the exams, you receive your Microsoft Office Specialist Master certificate, and the certification appears on your digital transcript.
View all answers
Q. What distinguishes individuals who hold a Microsoft Office Specialist certification from their peers?
A.
Achieving a Microsoft Office Specialist certification helps validate important skills and demonstrates candidates' commitment to growing and documenting their skills.
Q. Who benefits from the Microsoft Office Specialist certification?
The certification benefits business workers who want to present themselves as truly knowledgeable and differentiate themselves in a competitive job market. It also helps hiring managers make job placement decisions. Managers who hire candidates with a Microsoft Office Specialist certification are helping minimize training costs.
Q. What processes are in place to ensure high-quality exam questions?
Microsoft Certification exams are developed and reviewed by a team of experts who have extensive experience using Microsoft applications in diverse business and educational settings. Every exam undergoes a pilot test and rigorous analysis before it is released. The purpose of this process is to eliminate exam questions that do not meet standards for technical accuracy, clarity, relevance, and fairness.
Q. What is the exam format?
Exams are primarily performance-based and conducted in a "live," or simulated, environment. Exam candidates are asked to perform a series of tasks to clearly demonstrate their skills. For example, an Office Word 2007 exam might ask a user to balance newspaper column lengths or keep text together in columns.
Q. How long does a typical exam take?
A typical exam takes up to 90 minutes. Individual efforts are measured for both knowledge and efficiency.
Q. What kind of exam preparation is necessary?
Candidates can prepare for exams on their own or find outside training for the practice, resources, and support needed. Each exam has a preparation guide that lists available resources.
Q. Where can I take a MOS exam?
All Microsoft Office Specialist exams are administered by Certiport. Direct your questions about exam schedules and pre-registration to the Certiport location where you intend to take the exam.
Find a Certiport testing location near you (Certiport.com)
Q. Are MOS exams available in different languages?
Yes, Microsoft offers localized exams for the MOS certification.
Q. Where can I find my exam results?
Exam results are displayed on your screen immediately after you complete an exam. Those who pass will receive (by mail) an official certificate within approximately two to three weeks.
Q. If I do not pass an exam, can I have a refund?
No, Microsoft does not offer refunds for exams you do not pass or exam appointments you miss.
Q. Can I still earn a Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) certification?
No. The certification formerly known as the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) has been renamed Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS). You can still earn a certification to demonstrate your skills in using the 2007 Microsoft Office System and the Windows Vista operating system, but the name of the certification has been changed from MCAS to MOS.
Q. I earned a Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) certification. Is it still valid?
Yes. Your MCAS certification is still valid. Your transcript will be updated to include the new certification name and you will be issued a new certificate. We will send you an e-mail message outlining the next steps. If your e-mail address is different from what we have on file, please contact us.
Q. Why was the name changed from Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) to Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)?
Our partners, certified professionals, and the IT community at large requested we rebrand the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) certification and bring it under the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) umbrella to portray a stronger visible alignment with the Microsoft Office brand. Now all of the Microsoft Office certifications are under the same name: MOS. By leveraging the brand recognition of MOS, you can earn more recognition for the same certification. For example, earning a series of MOS certifications is more recognizable on a resume than a different certification name for each version of Microsoft Office. This branding applies to all versions of Microsoft Office programs, including Microsoft Office 2000, Microsoft Office XP, Microsoft Office 2003, the 2007 Microsoft Office System, and Microsoft Office 2010, as well as the certifications for Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Q. Can I challenge an exam question?
Yes. If you believe a particular exam question is not valid, you can request an evaluation of the question.
Q. How do I challenge an exam question?
Within three calendar days of taking the exam, submit the following information by e-mail to support@certiport.com:
Name
Candidate ID (if known)
Mailing address
E-mail address
Exam title and version (for example: Microsoft Word 2002, core)
Language in which the exam was taken
Date the exam was taken
Name and location of the testing center
Exam score and result
Number of times you tried to pass the exam
A description of the exam question
A rationale for evaluation of the exam question
Q. Will I find out whether my answer to a specific question was correct or whether I would have passed if I had gotten it right?
Exam development staff members will evaluate your exam challenge, based on the information that you submit (the required information is listed in previous answer). However, in the interest of exam security, you will not be informed whether your response was correct. If your challenge is validated and a different result on the question would have resulted in your passing the exam, you will receive your Microsoft Office Specialist certificate in the mail.
Q. If I don't agree with the evaluator's decision, can I appeal it?
No. By the time an exam is released, each question has been reviewed multiple times. When a candidate submits an exam question challenge, an additional review occurs. Decisions regarding your question challenge are considered final and no further evaluation will occur.
Q. Can I use the Microsoft Office Help menu when I take a Microsoft Office Specialist exam?
No, the Microsoft Office Help menu is not accessible to candidates. The decision to disable the Help menu was based on studies of how candidates use the Help menu during exams and how this affects the validity of exams. The studies indicated that disabling the Help menu will have little effect on the performance of well-prepared examinees, will provide a fairer testing experience, and will make exam test results more reliable.
Q. How does not having access to the Help menu affect the difficulty of MOS exams?
For those who invest the time and energy to prepare for these exams, the inability to use Microsoft Office Help in the course of an exam will have little effect on exam performance, according to research. Three separate studies in which exams were administered with and without access to Office Help revealed no significant difference between the scores of examinees who had access to Microsoft Office Help and those who did not.
Q. How does not having access to the Help menu affect the fairness of MOS exams?
This change helps ensure that well-prepared examinees have an equal chance to compete with less-prepared examinees. Research involving examinees in North America and Japan indicated overwhelmingly that the ability to use Microsoft Office Help during an exam affects neither the perceived fairness of the exams nor exam scores for well-prepared examinees.
Q. Do other Microsoft Certification exams allow access to Help?
No. MOS exams are the only Microsoft exams that use "live" applications for certification testing. In fact, this use of live software for certification testing is unique among software certification programs. Most programs for software certification use test formats such as multiple choice, which do not include Help menus and files. Furthermore, those tests are generally conducted in a closed-book fashion: Examinees are not allowed to use or access any resources or reference materials while taking exams.
Still have questions? Try one of the following frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages.
Identify your skill level on 2007 Microsoft Office or Windows Vista (Certiport.com)
Prepare for an exam by using approved courseware (Procertlabs.com)
Locate a Certiport testing center and register (Certiport.com)
