Microsoft Office Specialist Certification
A new opportunity to improve your IT skills with accreditation.
Drop in sessions: Curious to know more about MOS? Already registered but need support? Come to one of the regular drop-in sessions where you will have the chance to find out more about the program and ask questions or work on MOS training in a supported environment and discuss any issues.
Next Session: When Tues 12 Feb, 4:00-6:00 Where Swallowgate PC Classroom (enter from side door after 5:00)
What is Microsoft Office Specialist Certification (MOS)?
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is a recognised industry standard qualification. The MOS certification program administers an invigilated, task-based exam approved by Microsoft to validate desktop computer skills based on the Microsoft Office 2010 suite of programs. There is a separate exam for each program (Word, Excel, etc) and you can elect to take as many as you like. The certification is offered at three graduated levels: Specialist, Expert, and 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 the three required exams as follows and one elective exam:
Required- Word Expert
- Excel Expert
- PowerPoint
- Access
- Outlook
NOTE: This is only available on MS Office 2010 for Windows and not on any previous versions or other operating systems.
Information from Microsoft about the certifications is available on the Microsoft Learning site.
Who is eligible to register for MOS exams?
The MOS exam program is open to all University of St Andrews staff and post-graduates. The exams are provided free of charge (the RRP for a MOS exam is £65) and are administered by CAPOD. This represents very good value as most other institutions offering this qualification charge a fee up to £125 (dependent on the bundled training materials). All exams must be completed by 30 April 2013.
What is the process?
The certification route is generally a 3-stage process:
Skills Analysis
A skills evaluation software package is available that delivers practise tests. These tests are used to evaluate your skill level and determine your training requirements.
Training
Once the weak skill areas have been determined, the required training can be undertaken through self-led learning using available online resources through the University's subscription to the Microsoft IT Adademy. The evaluation software itself is also a training tool as it includes an assisted training mode where detailed instructions are given after each test question.
Certification through Examination
When confident, the candidate will sit a task-based exam in an invigilated session which typically lasts 60 minutes (depending on the particular exam). Exam results are displayed on screen immediately on completing the exam. All exam results are stored in the candidate's account and may be accessed through the candidate portal. Authorised transcripts may be requested to be sent directly to specified addresses (eg employers) and certificates can be printed on demand.
