Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Exams
Employers across the world value Microsoft Office Specialists. This certification will boost your CV as you look for placements or employment and the skills learnt in preparing for the exam will help you throughout your studies.
How will it benefit me?
Achieving an Excel Associate certificate can help you to achieve both academic and professional success. The additional skills you will learn are proven to help boost productivity and the quality of assignments submitted as part of your course.
In addition, this certification is highly sought after by employers and provides official evidence of your skills and abilities. Having the certification on your CV will help you to stand out from others when applying for work placements or full-time employment.
Aman explains how preparing for his MOS exam led to success
Aman joined the Business School as an Assistant Learning Technologist after gaining his MOS certification. Hear his MOS success story.
How to book your exam
We are now offering the chance to book an exam at the time of your choosing. How you should do this depends on your programme of study. For Business School parented programmes, you can find and book these events by searching for "MOS" on MyCareer under Events. For Joint Honours and other programmes which are not Business School parented, we are providing a Form to do so.
For students who were unable to attend or failed their timetabled exam, this is a great opportunity to make another attempt!
How to prepare for your exam
1. Register an account on Certiport (essential!)
Certiport are the exam provider the Business School has partnered with to offer this certification to you. Register for a Certiport account using your University email as your username. You MUST have completed this at least 48 hours in advance of your exam, otherwise the system will not permit you to make an attempt. On the day of your exam you will login to Certiport using this account.
Upon creating a Certiport account, you will be able to apply for time accommodation - please let us know if you are successful in your request.
2. Complete the LinkedIn Learning preparatory course
Please take the time to practise and study the Cert Prep: Excel Associate course training course on LinkedIn Learning, which you have free access to as a University of Leeds student. You can read further information about LinkedIn Learning here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to bring a laptop to my exam?
No, your exam will be taken in an IT cluster on a computer with specialist MOS exam software installed.
Do I need to bring ID to the exam?
We rely on your student card to verify your identity. You must bring it with you in order to take the exam.
If you have lost your student card, see how to replace your student card.
Why does LinkedIn Learning say I need to pay for the training videos?
Please make sure you are logging into LinkedIn Learning with your University details and not your personal details. As a University of Leeds student, you do not need to pay to access LinkedIn Learning content.
See further guidance on how to access LinkedIn Learning.
Will the exam affect my degree result?
This is an optional extracurricular opportunity which does not affect any module marks and therefore does not affect your degree.
When can I resit my exam?
If you don’t pass a MOS exam the first time, you must wait 24 hours before retaking it. If you don’t pass the second time, you must wait 2 days (48 hours) before each subsequent exam retake.
Can I take other exams, like Word or PowerPoint?
We are currently only offering the Excel certification.
If you have any further questions, please let your module leader know.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.