Microsoft offers a number of the foremost popular tech products within the world. While many users won’t be acquainted with Azure, Microsoft Server, or SQL Server, they certainly comprehend Windows and the apps v/like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are so common that they’re taken as a right. There are professional certifications associated with a lot of Microsoft products. The office isn’t any different. Microsoft Office certifications are somewhat controversial because Office skills are considered to be the baseline technical competency for many office jobs. Why would you want to get certified for something so common?
That’s a matter we’ll explore. We’ll have a look at what these certs cover, who should earn them, and who shouldn’t.
Microsoft Office Certifications and Exams
The Microsoft Office certifications are divided into three categories
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
- MOS Expert
- MOS Master
These certs demonstrate increasing levels of proficiency in using one or more of the five Microsoft office apps that are: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. “Using” is the word that makes the difference here. These certs talk about using the Office apps, not installing or administering them as almost everyone knows about it.
We used the term “increasing levels of proficiency”, but we must always say “increasing breadth of proficiency”. The reason behind this is specialist level exams are used at each level other than the Expert level exams for Word and Excel. You simply need to pass more of them as you progress up the ladder.
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
You can become a MOS Specialist in one or more of the five Office apps we mentioned. There are not any prerequisites. The exams are:
- Word 2019 (Exam M0-100)
- Excel 2019 (Exam MO-200)
- PowerPoint 2019 (Exam MO-300)
- Access 2019 (Exam MO-500)
- Outlook 2019 Exam MO-400)
These exams show that you simply are a proficient user of these actual applications. It doesn’t say anything about whether you’ll install or administer the app.
Each exam covers four or five various topics that are associated with the use of the actual application. The Microsoft Excel 2019 exam categories are:
- Manage worksheets and workbooks (10-15%)
- Manage data cells and ranges (20-25%)
- Manage tables and table data (15-20%)
- Perform operations by using formulas and functions (20-25%)
- Manage charts (20-25%)
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert
You can get certified in one or more of 5 Office applications but the MOS Expert cert is targeted for just two: Word or Excel. You will have to pass the suitable expert-level exam(s) to get Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert certification.
- Word 2016 Expert (Exam 77-726)
- Excel 2016 Expert (Exam 77-728)
There aren’t any specific prerequisites for these exams, although proficiency in Word or Excel is suggested. As we previously mentioned, these exams validate expertise in using the apps, not in administering them. Because of this, you would become a part of a peer group of professionals who use Word or Excel or support other users.
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master is the highest level of MOS certification. The exams that you just have to pass are ones that you just might need to take at the Specialist or Expert levels. Unlike those levels, where you may be certified in only ONE app, here you’re expected to prove your mastery of 4 apps, including passing the Expert level exams for Word and Excel.
To be certified as a MOS Master, you want to first pass exams for 3 required Office apps, followed by one exam for your choice of a further application.
The exams you should pass are as follows:
- Word 2016 Expert (Exam 77-726)
- Excel 2016 Expert (Exam 77-728)
- PowerPoint 2016 (Exam 77-729)
You can then pick one among these exams:
- Access 2016 (Exam 77-730)
- Outlook 2016 Exam 77-731)
Why Become Office Certified?
Although the Office suite is employed and used by most business and government organizations, it’s probably true the overwhelming majority of individuals use only some of the Office apps. You’ll most easily recognize Office, Excel, or PowerPoint. But you’ve probably only been scratching the surface. So, it will be better if you have the certifications related to these skills then you can explore more about these apps. You will get to know about the benefits and features that were unknown to you.
There are numerous online learning platforms that offer courses to prepare for these certification exams. uCertify is one of the eLearning platforms that offer various courses for the Microsoft Word, Excel Interview Questions, PowerPoint, and Outlook apps and their certification exams. Check out these courses and get yourself enrolled in the best-suited course for you.
