REDMOND, Wash. and SALT LAKE CITY, Nov.
18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. and Certiport
Inc., a Pearson VUE business, on Monday announced the dates
for the 2015 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship,
the most popular technology skills competition for Microsoft Office
since its inception in 2002. The popular Microsoft Office
competition is the only one endorsed by Microsoft, providing a
platform for students to showcase their expert skills using
Microsoft Office tools and gain the upper hand in today's
competitive academic and professional marketplace.
The 2015 contest marks the introduction of Microsoft Office
Specialist 2013 exams to the competition. Certiport will award
higher scholarship prizes for 2013 exam competition tracks. In all,
students will compete in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
tracks for Office 2010 and 2013.
"Our Office group is delighted to see the enthusiasm and
dedication of the young competitors in the MOS World Championship,"
said John Case, corporate vice
president for Microsoft Office. "They can really put the Office
suite through its paces, and those skills will serve them well in
whatever career they eventually pursue."
The championship, entering its 13th year, will see countries
from around the world host local competitions to determine country
and regional representatives based on exam scores and completion
times. The deadline for all qualifying exams is June 15, 2015. Selected finalists will then
compete in the 2015 MOS World Championship held in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 9–12, 2015.
"We expect continued growth in this high-stakes competition —
last year we had nearly 750,000 exam entries, and more than 40
countries participated in the MOS World Championship," said
Bob Whelan, president and CEO for
Pearson VUE. "The event is more than fun and prizes; Microsoft
Office Specialist certification prepares students for future
success in college and careers. In the end anyone who earns
certification is a winner with a valuable credential on their
resume to prove their skills."
To participate, students ages 13 to 22 must submit a passing
score on the MOS Word 2013, Excel 2013, PowerPoint 2013, Word 2010,
Excel 2010 or PowerPoint 2010 exams and attend an approved,
accredited learning institution. Regional participation and
availability varies by country. Further details can be obtained by
contacting a local Certiport Solution Provider or contacting
Certiport at MOSchampionship@pearson.com. The Microsoft Office
Specialist certification is the only official Microsoft-recognized
certification for Microsoft Office globally.
This year the MOS World Championship welcomes deeper
collaboration with Microsoft IT Academies (ITAs). Many
participating students prepare for the competition using the
curriculum and lesson planning materials offered through their
school by the Microsoft ITA program. This program provides schools
with flexible curriculum, customizable lesson plans and
professional development opportunities for teachers.
"We're really pleased to participate in the 2015 MOS World
Championship and see the great things students do with Microsoft
Office," said Alison Cunard, general
manager of Microsoft Learning Experiences, which manages Microsoft
ITA. "We think the benefits of the ITA program combined with a
global competition raise the bar for students to have fun while
learning the 21st century technology skills they need for
success."
Participants who outperform their peers to make the final round
of the World Championship generally have perfect or near-perfect
exam scores and completion times well below the allotted
examination time. The top three winners in each category will
receive scholarship prizes for $5,000, $2,500 and
$1,000, respectively.
A video highlighting last year's winners and their worldwide
press coverage can be found here, and the 2015 MOS World
Championship promo video can be found here.
About Certiport
Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, is the leading provider of
certification exam development, delivery and program management
services delivered through an expansive network of over 12,000
Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. Certiport manages a
sophisticated portfolio of leading certification programs
including: the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification
program, the Microsoft Technology Associate certification program,
the Microsoft Certified Educator program, the Adobe®
Certified Associate certification program, the HP Accredited
Technical Associate, the Autodesk Certified User certification
program, the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User certification
program, and the IC3 Digital Literacy certification. Certiport
reliably delivers over three million tests each year throughout the
secondary, post-secondary, workforce, and corporate technology
markets in more than 148 countries and 27 languages worldwide. For
more information, please visit http://www.certiport.com or follow
Certiport on Twitter at www.twitter.com/certiport.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide
leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help
people and businesses realize their full potential.
"Certiport" and "IC3" are registered trademarks of Certiport
Inc. in the United States and
other countries.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.