MOUS Certification

The Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program is the only comprehensive, performance-based certification program approved by Microsoft to validate desktop computer skills using the Microsoft Office programs:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Outlook®
• Microsoft PowerPoint®
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Project

The MOUS program provides computer program literacy, measures proficiency, and identifies opportunities for skills enhancement. Successful candidates receive a MOUS certificate that sets them apart from their peers in the competitive job market. The certificate is a valuable credential recognized worldwide as proof that an individual has the desktop computing skills needed to work more productively and efficiently.

By encouraging individuals to develop advanced skills with Microsoft business desktop software, the MOUS program is helping to fill the demand for qualified, knowledgeable people in the workplace. MOUS also helps satisfy an organization's need for a qualitative assessment of employee skills.

The MOUS program offers two levels of certification: Core and Expert.  Individuals can also pass additional exams to achieve MOUS Master certification.

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Fast Facts on MOUS

• The MOUS program is available in 168 countries and 18 different languages.
• Nearly 500,000 MOUS certificates have been issued.
• Approximately 22,500 MOUS certificates are issued each month.
• Since July 2001, more than 1,200 MOUS Master Instructors have been certified.

MOUS Certification Requirements

To earn the Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) certification for Microsoft Office or Microsoft Project, you must pass one or more certification exams. MOUS exams provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise by evaluating your overall comprehension of Office or Microsoft Project applications, your ability to use their advanced features, and your ability to integrate the Office applications with other software applications. MOUS exams are developed and validated by industry experts and are available at over 9,000 iQcenters worldwide.

Certification Tracks

The MOUS program offers certification tracks for a number of Microsoft Office suites. Select the appropriate version below to learn about the exam requirements for each track.

• Office XP
• Office 2000
• Office 97

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MOUS Exam Objectives

Select an exam name below to view its objectives. Objectives are organized into skill sets, which represent the more fundamental aspects of using each Office application.

Word 2000 Core

MOUS Exam Syllabus

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Exam objectives are categories of examination tasks, identified by subject-matter experts, that certify an ability to productively use Microsoft Office applications. These categories are organized into skill sets representing the more basic functions of each Office application.

Exam objectives and skill sets for the Microsoft Word 2000 Core Exam are provided below to assist in your exam preparation. Training centers and courseware providers authorized by the Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program tailor their instruction to these criteria.

Working with Text

• Use the Undo, Redo, and Repeat commands
• Apply font formats (bold, italic, and underline)
• Use the Spelling and Grammar command
• Use the Thesaurus
• Insert page breaks
• Highlight text in document
• Insert and move text
• Cut, copy, paste, and paste special using the Office Clipboard
• Copy formats using the Format Painter
• Select and change font and font size
• Find and replace text
• Apply character effects (superscript, subscript, strikethrough, small caps, and outline)
• Insert date and time
• Insert symbols
• Create and apply frequently used text with AutoCorrect

Working with Paragraphs

• Align text in paragraphs (center, left, right, and justified)
• Add bullets and numbering
• Set character, line, and paragraph spacing options
• Apply borders and shading to paragraphs
• Use indentation options (left, right, first line, and hanging indent)
• Use Tabs command (center, decimal, left, and right)
• Create an outline-style numbered list
• Set tabs with leaders

Working with Documents

• Print a document
• Use print preview
• Use Web Page Preview
• Navigate through a document
• Insert page numbers
• Set page orientation
• Set margins
• Use GoTo to locate specific elements in a document
• Create and modify page numbers
• Create and modify headers and footers
• Align text vertically
• Create and use newspaper columns
• Revise column structure
• Prepare and print envelopes and labels
• Apply styles
• Create sections with formatting that differs from other sections
• Use Click and Type

Managing Files

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• Use save
• Locate and open an existing document
• Use Save As (different name, location, or format)
• Create a folder
• Create a new document using a wizard
• Save as Web Page
• Use templates to create a new document
• Create Hyperlinks
• Use the Microsoft Office Assistant
• Send a Word document via e-mail

Using Tables

• Create and format tables
• Add borders and shading to tables
• Revise tables (insert and delete rows and columns and change cell formats)
• Modify table structure (merge cells, change height, and width)
• Rotate text in a table

Working with Pictures and Charts

• Use the drawing toolbar
• Insert graphics into a document (WordArt, clip art, and images)