The results are in, and it’s time for us to share the winners of the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Online Championship.
In its 19th year, the competition attracted more than 200,000 contestants from 108 countries. Students, ages 13 to 22, competed with peers to prove their superior skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, culminating in the most popular technology skills competition on Microsoft Office—and the only one endorsed by Microsoft since its inception in 2002.
To enter the competition, students took a qualifying Microsoft Office Specialist certification exam to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office technology. Regional competitions were held worldwide and 160 finalists from 33 countries qualified to compete in the final round of competition held virtually from November 9-11.
The 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist World Champions are:
- Second place: Phat Nguyen Duc, Vietnam Martitime University
- Seventh place: Ngoc Thai Bao, Vietnam Maritime University
In the concluding round, competitors participated in a two-part skills demonstration. The first skills demonstration was a 30-minute timed exam. The second, an advanced three-hour research project, in which students research their given topic, formulate an opinion, and represent their conclusions and research in an asset appropriate to the competition application (Word report, Excel workbook, or PowerPoint presentation). This is the first year where students competed virtually, and the first year that students were required to complete a free-form project.
Certiport and Microsoft recognized the top student competitors in the MOS World Championship Online Awards Ceremony and presented each First place winner with a $7,000 cash prize, Second place with $3,500 and Third place with $1,500.
“In 2020, we missed the opportunity to showcase the incredible talents and accomplishments of these MOS Champions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we couldn’t let the global pandemic stand in the way in 2021,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE. “It is inspiring to see students from 33 countries come together virtually to ‘speak Microsoft’. The winners receive extra praise, but every single student who entered has earned a valuable workforce credential that will help them find success in college and in their career. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of IT skills for tomorrow’s professionals and it’s incredible to see so many young people get int