Microsoft Office Certifications — Are They Worth It?

Microsoft Office certification: is it worth it?

Microsoft provides some of the most popular technology products in the world. Although many users may not be familiar with Azure, Microsoft Server, or SQL Server, they certainly know the applications in the Windows and Microsoft Office application suites. Applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint are so common that they are taken for granted.

All Microsoft products have corresponding professional certifications. The office is no different, in fact it has three. The Microsoft Office certification is quite controversial because Office is the basic technical ability for most office jobs. For such a common thing, why obtain certification?

This is the question we will explore. We will see the contents of these certificates, who should get the certificate, and who should not get the certificate.

Microsoft Office exams and certifications

Their goal is to demonstrate increased proficiency in using one or more of the five or five most common Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook).

The key word here is “use”. These Microsoft certificates are about using Office applications, not installing or managing them.

We use the term “increasing competition”, but perhaps we should say “increasing the breadth of competition”. This is because, in addition to the expert-level exams for Word and Excel, each level also uses specialized-level exams. When you climb the ladder, just pass more holes. The current certification exams apply to the 2016 version of the Office application, and can also be obtained through the cloud in Office 365.

Prerequisites?

For any MOS certification level, you do not need specific prerequisites. However, Microsoft recommends that you have a specific skill level in Microsoft Office or previous levels of certification.

Microsoft Office Professional (MOS)

You can become a MOS expert in one or more of the above five Office applications. There are no prerequisites. All you need to do is to pass the relevant exam:

• Word 2016 (Exam 77–725),
• Excel 2016 (Exam 77–727),
• PowerPoint 2016 (Exam 77–729),
• Access 2016 (Exam 77–730), or
• Outlook 2016 exam 77–731).

Again, these comments indicate that you are an effective user of a specific application. It does not indicate whether you can install or manage the application.

The weight of each exam is related to the use of specific applications in four or five different categories. For example, the Word 2016 exam includes the following categories:

• Create and manage documents (25–30%)
• Text format, paragraphs and sections (25–30%)
• Create tables and lists (20–25%)
• Create and manage recommendations (5–10%)
• Insert and format graphic elements (20–25%)

Microsoft Office Expert (MOS) Expert

Although the benchmark expert certification allows you to be certified in one or more Office applications, the MOS expert certification only focuses on the following two options: Word or Excel.

By passing the appropriate expert level exam, you can obtain Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) expert certification in one or two applications:

• Word 2016 Expert (Exam 77–726)
• Excel Expert 2016 (Exam 77–728)
• And 70–158

Although it is recommended that you are proficient in Word or Excel, there are no specific prerequisites for the exam. If you cannot pass the expert exam, please do not waste time and money on the expert exam.

Both exams are weighted in four categories related to application usage. The Excel 2016 expert exam covers the following categories and weights:

• Manage workbook settings and options (10–15%)
• Apply custom data format and layout (20–25%)
• Create advanced formulas (35–40%)
• Create advanced tables and charts (25–30%)

As mentioned earlier, these exams validate the experience of using the application, not its management experience. Therefore, they are related to professionals who use Word or Excel or accept other users.

For example, MOS expert certification may be a useful credential for Word or Excel trainers or help desk personnel. The Excel Expert certification is also useful for accounting and financial professionals and data analysts who must be advanced spreadsheet technical experts.

Microsoft Office Expert (MOS) Master

The highest level of MOS certification is the Microsoft Office Expert (MOS) Master. The exam you must pass is the exam you can take at the expert or expert level. Unlike those levels where you can be certified in one application, you need to prove your proficiency in four applications, including passing expert-level exams in Word and Excel.

To obtain the MOS Master certification, you must first pass the exam for the three required Office applications, and then pass the exam to select other applications.

The exams you must pass are as follows:

• Word 2016 Expert (Exam 77–726)
• Excel Expert 2016 (Exam 77–728)
• PowerPoint 2016 (Exam 77–729)

You can then choose one of the following exams:

• Access 2016 (Exam 77–730)
• Outlook 2016 Exam 77–731)

If you are already a certified Microsoft Office expert or expert, you may have taken and passed one or more of these exams. You just need to fill in the blanks.

Why pass the Office certification

Although most companies and government organizations use the Office suite, the vast majority of people only use some of these applications, which is indeed correct. From there, there is only a small part of the characteristics of each application. You might think you know Office, Excel or PowerPoint. But you may just start from scratch.

Unlike more technical certifications, Microsoft has not done well in promoting MOS certificates to employers to measure user proficiency. Therefore, you will not see many jobs that require the appointment of a Microsoft Office expert.

You are more likely to see general requirements such as “must be proficient in all Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook”. However, organizations tend to receive training and development, and may pay for

Conclusion

Because Microsoft Office applications are located in almost everyone’s personal workspace, most people may benefit from some training. However, the next step towards certification is personal choice.

Your own personal circumstances will determine your decision to apply for Microsoft Office Specialist certification. Factors may include your current job, the job you desire or your long-term career goals.

Whether you want to enhance the Microsoft Excel experience or obtain MOS certification, CBT Nuggets will provide you with the training you need. Coach Simona Millham created a series of Microsoft Office trainings from Word to Teams.