NB: before you take your exam you will have to register with Certiport and set up an account with them so that you have a username and password to log into the exam with.  It is FREE and we will provide you with instructions when you book your exam. Your certificate will then be available to download and print from your Certiport account between 24-48 hours after successfull completion of the exam.

Certiport Announces Name Change for 2007 Microsoft® Office Certification

Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) to be Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) 2007.  A change has come for providers and candidates of the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) certification programme. On 2nd June 2010, the MCAS was formally renamed Microsoft Office Specialist 2007 (MOS 2007) worldwide.  The programme’s name change will NOT include any programme requirement or exam content changes.

Are there any changes to exam objectives or item content from MCAS to MOS 2007?

NO, the rebrand only impacts the name of the program. MCAS will now be known as MOS 2007.

Are there any changes to exam requirements from MCAS to MOS 2007?

NO, the rebrand only impacts the name of the program.

Is the MCAS credential now deemed expired or obsolete for those currently holding the credential?

NO, all individuals who have earned the MCAS certification in the past will be considered holders of the MOS 2007 certification. They may choose to use the MOS 2007 designation on business cards or any other personal effects. MCAS certification holders should consider themselves ”grand-fathered“ into the MOS 2007 certification programme.

Can MCAS credential holders replace their MCAS Certificate with an MOS 2007 Certificate?

YES, there are two options for existing MCAS certificate holders to obtain a new certificate:

Before you begin, log onto your Certiport asccount at www.certiport.com by leaving the default role setting as ”Test Candidate.“

1. Print: to print an Official Certificate, select ”My Transcript“ tab, and click on either the PDF or XPS link associated with the certificate to be printed. Select ”View Official Certificate“ at the bottom of the page, then click the Printer icon within the certificate window (please don’t use the standard Print function as it will only print the outside borders of the browser page).

2. Order: to order an Official Certificate, select ”My Transcript“ tab, and click on either the Order Official Certificate link associated with the certificate. Select ”Add To Cart“ and follow the checkout instructions.

3. You can also view and send your transcript digitally (save trees!): Select ”My Transcript,“ then select ”Authorized View“ in the View Mode pull-down. The Authorized View displays what your transcript will look like to a 3rd party. To authorize a 3rd party (employer, college, or teacher) to see your transcript, click on the ”Authorize a Viewer“ button and follow the instructions.

Do I have to register for an account before I sit an exam?

YES, you need to register with Certiport and create a FREE account.  The username and password that you set up will be used to log onto the exam software securely.

Please click here for full instructions.

What are your exam rules?

We have very strict rules in place for people sitting an exam which MUST be adhered too.  Please click here for the full list of rules.

I have passed my exam.  How do I find/print my Certificate?

You will need to log on to your Certiport account.  Please click here for full instructions.

Please click here for details on setting up a Certiport account.

I am interested in applying for an instructors certificate.  How do I do this?

You will have to do this from your Certiport account.  Please click here for information.

Please click here for details on setting up a Certiport account.

I have just got married/divorced and have changed my name. Can I change my name on my Certiport account?

YES, please click here for instructions.

How do I book courses, buy exam voucher/study kits etc.

You can either email/telephone us; or you can do it online.  Please click here for online booking instructions.

How do I know what level I should attend?

Please contact us for a skills assessment form.  Our trainer(s) will then assess which level is most appropriate for your needs.

What does it take to become a trainer/instructor?

You have to apply on the Certiport website to become an instructor.  If you log onto your Certiport account and go to the My Certiport page you will see a list of Quick Links down the right-hand side.

If you want to be an MOS 2007 instructor, click on Microsoft Office Specialist Certification, then on the left hand side of the screen under Certifications, click on Microsoft Office Specialist 2007. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on the link underneath where it says Become a Microsoft Office Specialist 2007 Master.

To be a MOS 2003 instructor, click on Microsoft Office Specialist Certification, then on the left hand side of the screen under Certifications, click on Microsoft Office Specialist 2003. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on the link underneath where it says Become a Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 Master.

And to be an IC3 instructor, click on Authorized Instructor Application.  This will bring up a table of information telling you if you have achieved the necessary qualifications.  There will also be a link to View Requirements so that you can check what you need to achieve before applying.  Once you have the necessary qualifications etc. you will need to apply for the Instructor status by following the links and instructions on the webpage.  You may need to prove that you have two years training experience by providing a letter from an employer; and there may be a fee involved.

Please also click here to see how to apply for an instructors certificate.

Is the exam in the same format as the 'practice-exam'?

NO. The format is similar in the type of questions asked and how you are to answer them, but the live exam does NOT use the same programme as the practice exam.

Having completed the practice exam, there was a couple of questions which did not give all the information necessary for the questions to be answered correctly!

The questions can sometimes come across as a bit ambiguous so you have to read them carefully as all the relevant information is in the questions.

After the actual exam, in the event of a borderline 'fail,' would it be possible to have my exam reviewed by an administrator/adjudicator if I had concerns about the validity of any particular question(s)?

You cannot have your exam reviewed by us as we have no access to the exam taken by yourself.  If you feel very strongly about it you will have to contact Certiport and ask them for advice.

The practice-exam provides only general comments about areas I need to review.  After the actual exam, is there any detailed feedback regarding exactly which questions I answered incorrectly (particularly in the event of a borderline fail)?  

NO. You will get a report which gives you your final score. It will then give you a list of the 4/5 areas the exam covered and give you a percentage for each area, but does NOT go into detail about specific questions or areas.

Your online store sells vouchers towards payment of the exams.  Are these vouchers specific to a particular software application or can they be used to pay for exams in any of the Microsoft product range?

As long as you buy the correct software version i.e. MOS 2003, MOS 2007 (formerly MCAS), IC3, ACA etc you can sit an exam for any application. So if you purchase an MCAS voucher it will be valid for any application (Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Outlook 2007, Access 2007, or Vista for the Business User).

If I am entitled to a re-sit voucher, does the re-sit have to take place within a given timescale?  In the event of a 'Pass,' can the un-used re-sit option be used to take a exam on a different software package?

The re-sit voucher will be issued to you by Certiport with an expiry date which is usually one month from the date you failed your exam and can only be used for the SAME application.  If you pass the exam a retake voucher is NOT issued so there is no voucher to be used.

A RE-SIT is ONLY applied to vouchers purchased in a bundle and is NOT applicable to single vouchers.

The pre-payment vouchers are supplied with 'Exam Tips n Tricks.' Are these 'tips n tricks' just general information which is applicable to all exams, or are they application-specific?

The tips and tricks are documents that have been created by our in-house MOS 2003/MOS 2007/IC3 Authorised trainer. They have put application-specific topics together to assist exam takers in preparing for the exams and they also include general information about the exams and they are continually being updated and added too. Each one varies in length.  We have an additional information sheet for Vista and Adobe as these exams are on-line exams (a complete simulation whereas the others are part simulation and part using the machine software) so the setup is different to the other programmes.

If I decided to go ahead with the exam, how far in advance would I have to book my exam?  Can I pay on arrival or does full payment have to be in advance?

Unlike other exam centres we are running exams everyday including Saturdays by appointment.  It is best to give at least a couple of days notice to ensure you get the day and time you would like. We will then check the diary and book you in.  It is our company policy to receive payment in advance/on booking as people sometimes do not turn up.

When will I get my certificate?

EXAMS: Upon successful completion of your exam, you will receive an official Microsoft/Certiport/Macromedia certificate that can be downloaded/printed from your Certiport page within 24-48 hours after sucessfully completing the exam.

ACA exam certificates: These will be received through the post 4-6 weeks after sucessfull completion of the exam.  You will, however be able to download/print your score report from your Certiport page.

TRAINING: You will receive an S&G certificate at the end of the training session.

PREPARATION COURSE: You will not receive an S&G certificate for the training side, but will receive an official Microsoft/Certiport/Macromedia certificate that can be downloaded/printed from your Certiport page within 24-48 hours after sucessfully completing the exam.

Does the certificate indicate the attained mark/score anywhere on it?

NO it does not.

Whilst working through the practice exam, I realised that it was not possible to skip a question and then return to it later, if I had time at the end of the exam! Is this also the case on the actual exam?

NO, you CAN skip questions in the live exam and they are automatically added to the end of the exam (except for Vista/Adobe where you have to go into a menu screen) please ensure that you press skip and not next as some people accidently do which means that you will not get that question back.

Is it permissible to have notebooks and/or study aids, at the exam station whilst the exam is in progress?

NO, you are being examined on your knowledge of the programme, so unfortunately nothing is allowed and we have CCTV to ensure no cheating takes place.  Please click here to view our exam rules.

Do you have any statistics indicating percentage pass/fail rates for the exams (either at your exam centre, nationally or globally)?

The statistics on the percentage of people who pass/fail the exams in general are confidential, but we ourselves have a very high pass rate, which is even higher with those who take the preparation day course with us.

During the exam, would I be in a room on my own or would I be in a room with other exam-takers?  If the latter, what is the maximum number of people you would expect to be in a room together?

Normally you will be on your own but if we are busy you will be with other people, max 6 in total unless told otherwise.  You will however, be monitored by CCTV and have to follow our exam rules - click here to view these rules

In the event that I fail my exam, Certiport will issue me a ‘re-sit voucher.’  Does the re-sit voucher have to be used to book a re-sit at the original examing centre or can it be used to take the re-sit at any examing centre, anywhere in the country?

You can sit the re-sit anywhere as you have a voucher number. All centres charge a proctor fee, ours is £20+VAT, but this may vary.

A RE-SIT is ONLY applied to vouchers purchased in a bundle and is NOT applicable to single vouchers.

Are the questions in the actual exam devised by the same organisation that devised the questions for the ‘practice exams’?

NO. The practice exam and the live exam are written by different company’s.

Regarding the exam, how long does the exam last and how many questions do I have to answer?

Exams are 50 minutes, they have between 17-30 questions, but it will tell you exactly how many before the exam starts.

During the exam, is there any indication of how many marks are available for correct answers of each individual question?

NO there is not.

If there is no prior indication of how many marks are available for correct answers of each question, do all questions carry equal marks?  Or are some questions worth more marks than others?

Some questions are worth more marks than others as some questions have more than one task to be completed.

Prior to starting the exam, is there any kind of pre-exam briefing given, or when I arrive, is it a case of ‘sit down at the computer, log-in and then start’?

Before the exam starts there are three/four information screens to read through which tell you about the layout of the exam and give you a few tips.  The administrator who logs you onto the exam will also give you a few pointers and tips before the exam starts.

If I experience computer failure/crash during the exam, a problem which costs me a significant amount of lost time, how would this situation be dealt with by S&G and/or Certiport if this is a factor in my failure to pass the exam?

If the exam crashes we will be able to re-start the exam from the point of the crash and the time you had left will be saved. You can then continue with the exam as normal. In the event of a fail, if the crash is a software fault you will have to take up a grievance with Certiport on their website.  If the fault is with our computer you will not have to pay the proctor fee for the re-take.

If the exam results in a ‘fail’ and a re-sit is necessary, will the re-sit exam consist of a totally different set of questions?

All exams consist of random questions so each exam should be different, but some questions may be similar.

At your online store, if I wanted to purchase a pre-payment voucher. Do you send out ‘Tips n tricks’ that is a single document covering all applications, or do you have a separate document for each application?

We will send out a single document covering all applications.  We will also send a specific document per application which we are currently putting together.