Certiport names 2018 Microsoft Office Specialist World Champions

Winners top more than one million entries from 760,000 competitors in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Orlando, FL – August 6, 2018

The winners of the 2018 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship have been announced by Certiport, the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners.

In its 17th year the competition attracted more than 760,000 candidates from 116 countries, a 35 percent increase in participation year-over-year.  Students entered to prove their superior skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, culminating 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 age 13 to 22 took a qualifying Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office products.  Regional competitions were held worldwide and 152 student finalists from 51  countries competed in the final round of competition in Orlando, Florida, USA from July 29 – August 1, 2018.

The 2018 Microsoft Office Specialist World Champions are:

Microsoft Word® 2013

First place, Chia-I Lin, Taiwan
Second place, Kuan Hou Lei, Macau
Third place, Doan Duc Thanh, Vietnam

Microsoft Word® 2016

First place, Apakorn Kengkanna, Thailand
Second place, Ka Wang Sin, Macau
Third place, Adam Drummond, Isle of Man

Microsoft PowerPoint® 2013

First place, Nutthaphong Tuemala, Thailand
Second place, Irina Kurteva, Bulgaria
Third place, Ba Trong Dai Nguyen, Vietnam

Microsoft PowerPoint® 2016

First place, Tristan Mona, New Zealand
Second place, Karrah Parke, Canada
Third place, Apinan Kamsumrit, Thailand

Microsoft Excel® 2013

First place, Yip Pak Ming, Hong Kong
Second place, Leong Chon Hou, Macau
Third place, Wang Li-Ting, Taiwan

Microsoft Excel® 2016

First place, Kevin Dimaculangan, Florida, USA
Second place, Masato Ohno, Japan
Third place, Sead Smailagic, Bosnia & Herzegovina

In the concluding round, competitors participated in unique project-based tests to demonstrate their ability to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations for the information presented in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Certiport and Microsoft recognized the top student competitors at the MOSWC Student Awards Ceremony at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Florida and presented each first-place winner with a $7,000 cash prize.

“The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is truly a moving experience – not only because these students are thrilled to compete, but because their lives have been changed by certification,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE.  “Every person who earns MOS certification has demonstrated the ability to command the full features and functionality of Microsoft Office, preparing them for future academic or workforce opportunities.  The MOS World Championship allows us to celebrate that accomplishment and motivate students on a global scale.”

With 2.3 million certifications delivered annually, MOS is the world’s largest IT certification program. MOS is the only official Microsoft-recognized certification for Microsoft Office globally and serves as a powerful instrument for assessing student skills and preparing students for real-world application.

“We are very impressed with the winners of the MOS World Championship and grateful to meet so many young people who have realized the power of Microsoft Office skills for productivity and employability,” said Anthony Salcito, Vice President, Worldwide Education - Microsoft. “MOS certification gives students tangible proof they know how to use Microsoft Office tools in academics and on the job from day one.”

Next year, Certiport will host the 2019 MOS World Championship at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City, NY from July 28-31, 2019. Download high-resolution photos of the winners here and video interviews here. The event hashtag is #MOSWC. 

About Certiport

Certiport is the leading provider of learning curriculum, practice tests, and performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners. Certiport provides certification development, delivery, and program management services through an expansive network of more than 14,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. More than 3 million Certiport exams are delivered in 26 languages across 148 countries each year throughout the academic, workforce, and corporate technology markets. Certiport is a Pearson VUE business, and is a part of the world’s leading learning company, Pearson. To learn more, go to www.certiport.com.

"Certiport" is a registered trademark of NCS Pearson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Contact:

Allison Yrungaray
+1-626-841-1640
allison.yrungaray@pearson.com

The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is truly a moving experience – not only because these students are thrilled to compete, but because their lives have been changed by certification.
Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE