Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS

Head of Department: Miss J Brown – jb@barneyschool.org.uk
Teacher of IT: Mr H W Fairwood

Introduction
At Key Stage 4, all pupils follow an IT skills course for one lesson per week. The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is the world’s most recognised computing qualification for proving a person’s skills and abilities in Microsoft’s Office applications.
Please note that the cost of the course is charged as a separate item on the school bill.

Course/Exam board: Microsoft (Prodigy Learning)

Specification at a glance
Unit 1 – Microsoft PowerPoint
Unit 2 – Microsoft Word
Unit 3 – Microsoft Excel 

Your route through the syllabus and assessment
An examination (typically 60 minutes) is taken for each of the three units listed and is primarily performance-based and conducted in a “live” or simulated environment. Exam candidates taking exams for MOS 2010 are asked to perform a series of tasks to clearly demonstrate their skills. For example, a Word exam might ask a user to balance newspaper column lengths or to keep text together in columns.

What MOS can do for you
Achieving the industry-recognised MOS certification can help pupils differentiate themselves in today’s competitive jobs market. It helps broaden their employment opportunities by proving that they have advanced skills in Microsoft Office, which can result in higher earning potential. After gaining MOS certification, pupils get immediate access to a Digital Certificate and Transcript, as well as the MOS logo to put on their CVs. In addition, the MOS qualification helps pupils to:
Learn the computing skills companies are looking for
Boost their resume
Gain valuable experience and confidence
Enhance their higher education prospects
Prepare for a successful future