We Are Offering Free Microsoft 2016 Certification Exams As Part of Microsoft's Beta Test

Community Business College will be making Microsoft Office 2016 certification available and is looking for participants to help beta test online exams.

  

Community Business College has been selected as a beta testing participant for the new Microsoft Office 2016 certification exams. These exams are the official acknowledgement from Microsoft that the holders possess levels of competence for the level designated on the certificate. 

The college has begun phasing in the beta testing of the Microsoft Office 2016 programs in a staged implementation schedule with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel to start, to be followed by other programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Officials at the school report they have started the testing with current students and graduates and are opening the testing to members of the public who would like a no-cost attempt at earning technical computing certifications.

The purpose of the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is to allow people who have the skills needed to get the most out of them by earning a certificate in a specific Office program. Microsoft states that one of the advantages of earning an MOS certification is that holding a MOS certification can earn an entry-level business employee as much as $16,000 more in annual salary than uncertified peers.

For candidates who are pursuing the higher level Microsoft Office Specialist Expert and Microsoft Office Specialist Master certifications, becoming a certified Microsoft Office Specialist is a great entry point. The 2016 versions of these expert-level exams will be released later this year.

Community Business College was selected because of its expertise in the technologies required for implementing the exams and its extensive experience in beta testing technical certification exams.

To implement the beta testing program, Community Business College is providing free MOS Certification vouchers to volunteers who would like to assist in the beta testing of these fully online exams. In exchange for their evaluations of the exam system, participants who pass the exams will receive official certifications at no charge to them. The school is absorbing all costs for this high-technology project and will provide these services all at no cost to the participants. The vouchers will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis up until the project is complete.

Dan Guerra Community Business College’s director, said, “Our goal in participating in this high technology project is to test the functionality of the updated exams and their new delivery engine environment. Modesto, with its new initiatives to kick start its technology sector, is a great place for this to happen. It’s also an excellent opportunity for people in the Central Valley to earn an official technology certification at no cost to them.”

Testing will begin in March, 2016 and proceed until the system has received enough exams nationwide to demonstrate that the MOS 2016 exams have demonstrated that they are ready to be released into the general testing system.

For this round of testing, a particular emphasis is being placed on high school students. Students who score high on the certification exams may be invited to The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship. This event is a global competition that tests students' skills on Microsoft Office applications. Participating in this competition provides eligible students with an excellent opportunity to showcase Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills, have some fun, impress student colleagues and gain recognition.

Exams are primarily performance-based and conducted in a "live," or simulated, environment. Exam candidates taking these certification exams 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. MOS 2016 presents the candidate with a project to build, with tasks and steps that build on each other.

Each beta exam takes approximately 2 hours to complete (although some students may finish quicker.

Community Business College is also offering a study guide and informational outline on its website for those interested in learning more about the exam. Once the beta testing is complete, the live version of the exam will be continuously available at the institution.

People who would like to participate in the beta test can contact the school’s main office either by phone or e-mail through the webpage www.cbcwebcollege.com.

What Else Do We Do?

Community Business College has been training people in workforce development skills for over 18 years.  The school’s other enrichment programs include advanced technology training, software specific classes like QuickBooks, Business Spanish, IC3, Photoshop and other technology certifications.

More details can be found at the school’s website www.cbcwebcollege.com.