Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) is a globally renowned qualification programme that certifies expertise in Office software.
At Cardiff Met we have combined the Microsoft Office Specialist qualification with our bespoke training programmes to offer high quality, relevant training that allows you to prove your skills through MOS certification.
Visit the
Student Courses or
Staff Courses pages for details of the MOS courses on offer, or read on to learn about the benefits of MOS.
I'm a student - what are the benefits of Microsoft Office Specialist?
Gaining a MOS qualification will help you with your studies. You will be more productive, confident and proficient in Office software (see
evidence). Being proficient with the tools will enable you to focus your effort on the
content of your assignments.
Perhaps more importantly, being MOS certified allows you to stand-out to employers. Employers see many CVs that include "I am proficient in Office software", yours will have an extra edge as it could read
"I am proficient in Office, as
evidenced by gaining a Microsoft Office Specialist qualification."
Upon passing a MOS exam you will be able to provide potential employers with proof of your digital skills in the form of:
- a physical and digital certificate
- a digital badge that can be used to share (e.g. on LinkedIn) and verify your achievement with employers
I'm a member of staff - what are the benefits of Microsoft Office Specialist?
Our Microsoft Office Specialist courses develop skills that are
relevant to Cardiff Met staff, whilst simultaneously preparing trainees for the MOS exam. Microsoft Office Specialist was chosen as a qualification because the exam objectives and skills developed are aligned with how Office software is used at Cardiff Met.
The courses are contextualised to Cardiff Met situations. For example, in the MOS Excel course demonstrations and practice exercises use Cardiff Met spreadsheets and scenarios, such as exports from Qualtrics, Moodle data and Business Objects reports. The goal is to develop transferable skills that can easily be applied in the workplace.
Successful completion of a MOS course will be rewarded with a Microsoft Office Specialist certificate (both physical and digital), a digital badge that can be added to digital CVs (such as LinkedIn) and it will be recorded on your Cardiff Met record of learning.
In a nutshell - the benefits of Microsoft Office Specialist
1. Improve Productivity, Confidence and Proficiency
Take a look at the gallery below for some statistics (taken from this
productivity study) on how MOS certification can improve workplace productivity.
2. Valued by Employers
According to a
CompTIA study (2011), 86% of hiring managers indicate that IT certifications are a high or medium priority when evaluating candidates. As MOS is one the most prominent IT qualifications, you can be sure it will have an impact on employers.
3. Globally Recognised
Microsoft Office Specialist is a globally recognised award, developed directly by Microsoft and their official partners (including Certiport and Wiley). More than 175,000 exams are administered monthly in 148 countries (source).
Microsoft Office Specialist Associate and Expert
Each Microsoft Office Specialist qualification is a standalone certification proving you have mastered the principal features of that application. If you gain multiple MOS certifications, you can become a MOS Associate or MOS Expert, proving your expertise in the whole Office suite.
Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate
To become a
Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate, you need to gain at least
three of the four Microsoft Office Specialist qualifications. You can complete all these courses and exams at Cardiff Met, see our course pages for details:
By passing three of the four exams, you will automatically be issued with the Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate certificate and digital badge.
Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert
The highest level of qualification in the MOS family is
Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert. To gain this qualification, you need to become a MOS Associate (i.e. pass at least
three of the four Microsoft Office Specialist qualifications) and pass
two of the following expert exams. You can complete all these courses and exams at Cardiff Met, see the
Advanced Microsoft Office Specialist training and certification page for details.
By passing these exams, you will automatically be issued with the Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert certificate and digital badge.
