How to Get a Microsoft Office Certification: A U.S. News Guide

In case you’re in search of a job that requires data of Microsoft Office, you may make your self extra aggressive by getting licensed. A Microsoft Office Certification verifies your experience and proficiency of core Office suite applications.

Microsoft Office is broadly utilized by a number of organizations. This certification might enhance your price with employers, particularly for those who’re in search of a increase or a new job.

The Microsoft Office Certification covers its core merchandise: Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and/or Entry (PC solely). In the course of the examination, you will need to full sure duties within the utility inside a particular timeframe and variety of clicks. The aim is to ensure you know the software program properly sufficient so that you just’re not searching across the menus and toolbars to carry out a activity.

Microsoft provides certifications in Office 365, Office 2019, Office 2016 and Office 2013, in addition to in single purposes, corresponding to Phrase or Excel. A certification within the newest Office 365/2019 variations will carry you ahead the longest, consultants say.

“You’ll at all times have your certification designation to placed on a resume or present an employer, however sooner or later, the model will look old-fashioned. So for essentially the most longevity, I like to recommend the newer model,” says Andrea Procak, business-development coordinator for ONLC Coaching Facilities.

There are totally different ranges of certifications out there for Microsoft Office. For Office 365 and 2019, Microsoft provides two ranges: Affiliate and Skilled. For Office 2016 and 2013, Microsoft has a Grasp degree as properly. You may also get licensed as a Microsoft Office Specialist, or MOS, in a single utility, corresponding to Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook or Entry.

You should move three of those 4 exams:

The Microsoft Office Specialist Skilled certification covers Phrase, Excel and Entry. The Microsoft Office Specialist Affiliate certification is a prerequisite for this certification.

You should move two of those three exams:

You should additionally move certainly one of these two:

The Microsoft Office Specialist 2013 Grasp certification covers Phrase and Excel, and probably PowerPoint, Outlook, Entry or OneNote. This degree provides three pathways to earn the certification. Go to Microsoft’s web site for extra info.

Individuals usually get licensed in Microsoft Office to make themselves extra aggressive within the job market. That is true whether or not you’re in search of a new job or need to enhance your worth along with your present employer. The Office certification covers your expertise at utilizing Office, not at administering or managing Office in a assist capability. It could actually additionally profit academics, trainers or Assist Desk professionals who instruct others on Office.

“When you’ve licensed as a Microsoft Office Specialist, the bullet level in your resume that reads ‘proficient in Microsoft Excel’ isn’t simply a bullet level however turns into a assertion of expertise and experience within the given utility that’s backed by Microsoft,” says Udemy teacher and Microsoft Licensed Coach Kyle Pew. “‘Licensed as a Microsoft Office Specialist’ turns into a distinction that separates these which might be licensed from the informal Office consumer in a aggressive job market.”

A Microsoft Office certification might be advantageous to somebody who makes use of Office as a core a part of their job. In case you use Office sporadically or don’t want the experience in your profession, then it’s possible not price your money and time.

Prep time for the exams relies on your present understanding of Office and the way rapidly you may be taught new options. For every utility and examination, Microsoft recommends round 150 hours of instruction and hands-on expertise. MOS exams take 50 minutes.

“Relying in your means to comprehend and make the most of the software program, this may be completed comparatively rapidly,” Procak says. “We had a scholar take every of the specialist exams inside the span of about 4 weeks. Some folks concentrate on one at a time, and that could possibly be completed as rapidly as one week to one month relying on the time out there to observe and examine.”

Usually, you’d take the exams at a certified certification heart corresponding to Certiport, the main supplier of certification companies. You could find the closest heart at Certiport’s Locator website. Due to precautions for the coronavirus, now you can take the exams on-line. Certiport is providing its Exams from Dwelling program by way of June 30, 2021.

Every product, corresponding to Phrase, Excel or PowerPoint, requires a separate examination. The price of a voucher for every particular person examination is $100. A Specialist voucher with the choice to retake the examination prices $120. You should buy vouchers straight at Certiport’s Office Specialist Examination Vouchers web page.

Earlier than you try to take an examination, you must undergo coaching for every program. Even for those who’re already expert with this system, the fitting coaching can higher put together you by protecting materials that will likely be on the examination.

Get hands-on coaching by working with Office applications in your pc. You possibly can examine by yourself by way of books, tutorial software program and coaching web sites. Additionally contemplate instructor-led on-line programs, which is likely to be dearer.

Subsequent, contemplate taking a observe check that simulates the precise certification examination. The observe checks can be found by way of Certiport’s GMetrix Follow Exams. A full suite prices round $75. A single utility observe check prices $40.

Every check has two modes. A coaching mode permits you to work at your individual tempo as you obtain suggestions and step-by-step directions for every query. A testing mode helps you to expertise the precise certification exams with timed observe eventualities.

After you buy and redeem the voucher for a check, the examination administrator units the date and time of the check. You’ll obtain a hyperlink and session particulars from Certiport the day prior to your scheduled at-home examination. Earlier than your examination, evaluation the next assets:

Attempt to redeem the voucher whereas the observe checks and coaching are nonetheless contemporary in your thoughts. After you’ve accomplished the examination, you’ll obtain an electronic mail that claims whether or not you handed. You may also verify by signing into your Microsoft Certification dashboard, which exhibits your present and previous certifications and will help you register for extra exams.