Being Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certified

by Lisa Kleback, End User Trainer

Measuring Office Skill Proficiency
Microsoft^© (MS) Office applications are used throughout the IT and Federal contracting worlds.  Each MS application is complex and has an enormous amount of functionality.  Often, the full capabilities of MS tools are not explored within organizations.  Being able to evaluate what an employee knows in each program helps measure skill proficiency.  This certification is especially useful when Federal agencies require their personal to obtain MOS certification as part of a career tracking track for advancement in the field.  ActioNet provides highly successful MOS certification training courses for certain Federal contracts.

Who Benefits from Certification?

Employees

• Employees who receive certification are recognized as experts in the field.
• Certification greatly increases an employee's job marketability and flexibility.
• Certification offers employees career advancement and opportunities.
• Employee's creditability substantially increases with certification.

Employers/Contracts

• Certification ensures that the organization sets skill standards.
• Certification helps organizations hire a higher caliber of skilled individuals.
• Certification helps increase revenue.

Types of Certification

Microsoft Office Specialist
To become MOS certified an employee must pass any one of the Specialist level exams:

• Microsoft Word 2003 Core
• Microsoft Excel 2003 Core
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Core
• Microsoft Outlook 2003 Core

Employees may become certified in one or all of the Microsoft Office applications.

Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor
In order to become Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor certified employees must pass both of the Expert level exams:

• Microsoft Word 2003 Expert
• Microsoft Excel 2003 Expert

Employees must pass the following Specialist level exam:

• Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Expert

In addition, employees must pass one of the following Specialist level exams:

• Microsoft Access 2003 Core
• Microsoft Outlook 2003 Core

Note: Exams are available within Office 2003, Office XP, and Office 2000 suites.

Training Approach Ensures Success
Classroom training has proven to be a very effective method in ensuring that employees pass one or more of the MOS exams required to become certified.  Some Federal employees are required to become certified in order to receive promotions and advancement.  ActioNet has a very high success rate of students passing the MOS certified exams following our courses.

Testimonials
The following testimonials from ActioNet contract students demonstrate how successful training ensures high success rates of students passing Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exam.

"Although I was quite proficient in Word, I learned new skills and practiced them enough to feel comfortable that I can use them on-the-job."

"The advanced features in MS Word will enable me to create top quality documents, reports, presentations, and white papers.  These documents are critical to my job so the applicability is very high for me and I really appreciate the course, the instructor was extremely knowledgeable, which truthfully, is rare."

"Just wanted you to know that I passed both the PowerPoint and Excel exam that I took..."

Investing in the Bottom Line
Companies/Contracts that invest in the MOS certification notice a substantial difference in employee productivity, employee competency, and a great improvement in employee morale and confidence.