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Microsoft's MOS certification (Microsoft Office Specialist) is designed to demonstrate proficiency in the use of the Microsoft stable of Office products, namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and Project. Formerly known as the MOUS certification (Microsoft Office User Specialist), Microsoft decided to change the name of the certification to MOS in 2002. The latest incarnation is the MOS 2010 version. The MOS credential is the only dedicated Microsoft Office certification track.
There are essentially three levels of MOS certification that can be earned:
• MOS Specialist (requires at least one exam to be passed)
• MOS Expert (requires at least one exam to be passed)
• MOS Master (requires four exams to be passed – 3 required, 1 elective)
MOS certification candidates can choose which particular Office version they wish to become certified in. At the time of writing MOS certification is offered for the following:
• Microsoft Office 2010
• Microsoft Office 2007 and Vista operating system*
• Microsoft Office 2003
Retired tracks:
• Microsoft Office XP
• Microsoft Office 2000
* Candidates passing the Microsoft Office 2007 and Vista operating system were previously awarded the MCAS credential. This has changed and candidates will now earn a MOS credential instead.
Exams are available for each of the individual Office products (i.e. Word, Excel etc.) and candidates can choose to simply take any or all exams that they wish. So those wishing only to show proficiency with Microsoft Word can simply elect to take the MOS Word exam in the version of Office they are familiar with (2010, 2007, etc). Passing that exam will earn the candidate the MOS Word Specialist credential. If the candidate then decides to go on and pass the Microsoft Excel exam, they then earn the MOS Excel Specialist credential, and so on. There are no conversion exams available for candidates who have passed a MOS exam for earlier versions of Office products.
All questions in the MOS certification exams are simulated, real-world-type questions as opposed to written, multiple choice-type questions. The user is presented with a somewhat limited version of the Microsoft Office application in question (e.g. Word) and given a number of questions/tasks to complete. Each question in the exam can contain a number of parts - for example, the candidate may be asked to format a paragraph with a certain style, then apply bullet points, and lastly to insert a page footer – all for the one question/task. The candidate will be scored on the actual steps taken to complete each part of the task, and any incorrect menu choices, wrong options and such will be taken into account for your final score for that question. The help menu is not accessible at any time during the exam.
MOS exams can be scheduled and taken at any Certiport (certiport.com) testing facility. Exams are typically 50 minutes in duration with between 30 and 35 questions. Candidates will be shown their score immediately upon conclusion of the exam. Should you fail the exam, you are required to wait a period of 7 days before retaking the exam. Upon successfully completing the exam, you will be presented with a score sheet and confirmation of the pass, and the official certificate will be mailed to you in a matter of weeks.
Is the MOS certification worth it?
With Microsoft Office products as ubiquitous as they are, it’s difficult to not see the value in having an official endorsement of your abilities in using Microsoft products. From the point of view that most companies use Microsoft’s Office package, the MOS certification should be a handy credential to have, and, given the nature of the exam questions (simulation, not multiple choice), it can be safely assumed that holders of the MOS certification credential know their way around the various Office products. The MOS certification would be particularly useful for I.T. helpdesk staff, or indeed anyone working with Microsoft Office products in clerical positions.
In terms of a lead-in to other computer certifications or as a jump-start to an I.T. career, the MOS doesn’t offer much other than perhaps leading to instructor-related certifications.
MOS study resources:
| MOS General |
| MOS Word |
| MOS Excel |
| MOS PowerPoint |
| MOS Outlook |
| MOS Access |
| MOS Project |
