Microsoft Business Certification
Discover the only worldwide, performance-based certification program that
validates the skills needed to get the most out of Microsoft Office and Windows
Vista. Whether you want to stand out in the job market, improve your
performance, or better prepare your students to enter the workforce, the
Microsoft Business Certification (MBC) program can help you attain the valuable
expertise you need—and businesses rely on—to succeed.
Level: N/A
Audience: Information worker, students
Type: Microsoft Certification
The Microsoft Business Certification program consists of two credentials:
* Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS)
* Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
Both credentials feature Web-based pretests, application-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
applications. After passing just one exam, you become a member of the Microsoft
Certified Professional community and receive access to a private Web site. From
there, you can access your certification logo so that you can display it in on
your resume and other business materials, print transcripts to demonstrate proof
of certification, and receive a certificate that verifies your successful
completion of the exam.
Explore MCAS and MOS certifications
MCITP Training –
MCSE Training
Why get certified?
By earning a Microsoft Business Certification credential, you can prove your
expertise in using the latest Microsoft Office programs and the Windows Vista
operating system. 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. 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 program provides skill-verification tools that
not only help assess a person’s skills in using Microsoft business programs but
also the ability to quickly complete on-the-job tasks across multiple
applications in the Microsoft Office system.
* Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS)
* Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS)
The Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) credential validates
skills in using the 2007 Microsoft Office system and the Windows Vista operating
system, meeting the demand for the most up-to-date skills on the latest
Microsoft technologies. Candidates who successfully complete the program by
passing a certification exam show that they can meet globally recognized
performance standards.
Candidates must pass one certification exam in order to earn the MCAS
credential.
Exam number
MCAS: Windows Vista for the Business Worker Exam 77-600
MCAS: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Exam 77-601
MCAS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Exam 77-602
MCAS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Exam 77-603
MCAS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Exam 77-604
MCAS: Microsoft Office Access 2007 Exam 77-605
Note For information about Microsoft Office Project certification, visit the
following pages:
* MCTS: Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007
* MCTS: Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
* MCITP: Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) program offers certification tracks for
Office 2003, Office XP, and Office 2000. To earn an MOS certification for
Microsoft Office, you must pass one or more certification exams. MOS
certification exams provide a valid and reliable measure of technical
proficiency and expertise by evaluating your overall comprehension of Microsoft
Office or Office Project programs, your ability to use advanced features, and
your ability to integrate 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)
MOS exam requirements by certification level
Specialist
Candidates must pass any one of the following Specialist exams:
* Word
* Excel
* PowerPoint
* Access
* Outlook
Expert
Candidates must pass any one of the following Expert exams:
* Word Expert
* Excel Expert
Master
Candidates must pass three required exams and one elective exam.
Required:
* Word Expert
* Excel Expert
* PowerPoint
Elective:
* Access
* Outlook
Microsoft Office 2007 Master
Demonstrate your master-level expertise with Microsoft Office programs. The
Microsoft Office 2007 Master certification shows employers that you have more
than a working knowledge of Office programs. It shows that you have the
technical skills to efficiently use the full features of the 2007 Office system,
making you valuable to organizations that want to reinforce their technology
investments with accelerated productivity and improved organizational
performance.
To earn the Microsoft Office 2007 Master certification, you must pass the
following MCAS exams:
* MCAS: Microsoft Office Word 2007
* MCAS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007
* MCAS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
* MCAS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
After you successfully complete the exams, you receive your Microsoft Office
2007 Master certificate, and the credential appears on your digital transcript.
Learn more about the MCAS certification exams
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master certification demonstrates an
individual’s overall comprehension and expertise of Microsoft Office programs.
Microsoft Office Specialist Masters have more than a working familiarity with
Office programs—they are technically skilled to take advantage of the breadth of
Office features efficiently and effectively.
To earn the MOS Master credential, 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 credential appears on your digital
transcript.
FAQ’s
Q. What distinguishes individuals who hold a Microsoft Business Certification
from their peers?
A. Achieving a Microsoft Business Certification credential validates important
skills and demonstrates candidates’ commitment to growing and documenting their
skills.
Q. Who benefits from the Microsoft Business Certification program?
A. 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
know that by hiring candidates with a Microsoft Business Certification, they are
effectively minimizing training costs.
Q. What processes are in place to ensure high-quality exam questions?
A. 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?
A. 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. 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?
A. 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.
* Find MCAS exam preparation guides
* Find MOS exam preparation guides
Q. Where can I take an MCAS or an MOS exam?
A. All Microsoft Business Certification 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 MCAS or MOS exams available in different languages?
A. Yes, Microsoft offers localized exams for the MCAS and MOS credentials.
* Find an exam in your language
* Find training in your language
Q. Where can I find my exam results?
A. 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?
A. No, Microsoft does not offer refunds for exams you do not pass or exam
appointments you miss. Challenging an exam question
Q. Can I challenge an exam question?
A. Yes. In the event 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?
A. 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?
A. 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 or MCAS certificate in the
mail.
Q. If I don’t agree with the evaluator’s decision, can I appeal it?
A. 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.
Using the Office Help menu during MCAS and MOS exams
Q. Can I use the Microsoft Office Help menu when I take a Microsoft Certified
Application Specialist or Microsoft Office Specialist exam?
A. 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 MCAS
and MOS exams?
A. For those who invest the time and energy to prepare for these exams, the
inability to use 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 Office Help and
those who did not.
Q. How does not having access to the Help menu affect the fairness of MCAS
and MOS exams?
A. 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 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?
A. No. MCAS and 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.