Vietnam ranks first at MOS World Championship

Vietnam wins two out of six gold medals at the event (Photo courtesy of organisers)

Hanoi (VNA) - A team of Vietnamese students bagged two gold, one silver and one bronze medal to hold the first place at the 2022 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship in the US, with an overall total of 17 medals.

It was the best result Vietnam had obtained after 13 years of participating in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship.

The two gold medals were earned by Bui Cong Minh, a student from Nguyen Tat Thanh secondary school and high school in the capital city of Hanoi who triumphed in the Powerpoint 2016 category; and Nguyen Duy Phong, a Hanoi University of Science and Technology student, won the Microsoft Excel 365 Apps and Office 2019 category.

A silver medal in the World Silver Medal in Microsoft Word 365 Apps and Office 201 section went to Nguyen Trong Khai, a student of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology. In Microsoft Word 365 Apps and Office 2019 category, Dao Ngoc Tung Chi, a student of the Foreign Trade University, won a bronze medal.

Doan Hong Nam, President of IIG Vietnam, head of the National Organising Committee and head of the Vietnamese team to the contest, said: "I am very proud of the MOS Vietnam team for their excellent achievements this year. This is the first time in the history of participating in the competition we have achieved great success, earning the top position. This achievement is a testament to the improving quality of young Vietnamese human resources in the technology field over the years.”

The MOS World Championship has been held annually by Certiport company of the US since 2002. In its 20th year, the competition attracted more than 1 million contestants worldwide. 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.

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 95 finalists qualified to compete in the final round of competition held in Anaheim, California, from July 24-27.

In the concluding round, competitors participated in a two-part skills demonstration. The first was a 30-minute timed exam and the second, an advanced three-hour research project in which students researched their given topic, formulated an opinion, and presented their conclusions and research in an asset appropriate to the competition application (Word report, Excel workbook, or PowerPoint presentation). This is the first year that finalists were required to complete a free-form project.

At the final event in Anaheim, Certiport and Microsoft recognised the top student competitors in the MOS World Championship Awards Ceremony. They presented each first-place winner with a 7,000 USD cash prize, the second-place winner with 3,500 USD, and the third-place winner with 1,500 USD.

Microsoft Office Specialist is the only official Microsoft-recognised certification for Microsoft Office globally. It serves as a powerful instrument for assessing students’ skills and preparing them for real-world application of their knowledge.

“The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is one of our favourite events annually, because these students are thrilled to compete and they inspire all of us with their competitive spirit and crowning achievement,” said Rick Herrmann, Vice President Worldwide Public Sector, Education, Microsoft. “These students work diligently to earn valuable industry-recognised certifications, and we know that the future is bright with upcoming business and technology leaders like those we met at the MOS World Championship.”

Next year, the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship will take place in Orlando, Florida, from July 30 to August 2.

After 13 years of participation in the contest, Vietnam won four gold, three silver, and 10 bronze medals./.