Studies have shown that companies that implement a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification program see wide ranging benefits. Employees have the training to improve their productivity and are made to feel valuable with a company-financed professional certification. It sends a message to customers that your business employs skilled specialists to provide the best service possible.

However, the certification tests are not easy. Microsoft has designed the examinations to challenge the knowledge of certification candidates, ensuring that they are true experts in all aspects of Microsoft Office applications.

In-house training runs the risk of leaving important holes in an employee's knowledge that could prove fatal at the time of the exam. Training must focus not only on the skills your company needs, but also on skills your company doesn't employ.

MS Office courses are designed not just to provide training to make your employees more effective, but to provide the proficiency needed to pass the certification courses. As an example, let's look at how Microsoft Powerpoint training courses prepare your employees.

Introductory Microsoft Power Point Training

Don't let the term "introductory" fool you. This course provides substantial content that is directly related to the exam on Microsoft Power Point. Training covers almost the entire "Creating Content" skill set on the exam: creating new presentations, and inserting text, tables and charts, pictures and shapes, and objects.

Powerpoint training course also includes instruction on formatting elements to create more powerful presentations. Of course, no Microsoft Power Point training course would be complete without instruction on how to arrange slides and present them to an audience.

Intermediate/Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint Training

Intermediate and advanced concepts teach employees cutting edge methods to add impact to their presentations and to score even better on the certification exam.

Advanced level courses also teach trainees how to apply animation schemes and slide transitions, develop projects in shared work environments, and prepare presentations for advanced delivery techniques such as remote presentation or CD publication.

Choosing a MOS Training Facility

Before deciding on a training facility, consider the length of the courses, the reputation of the training facility, and the structure of the programs. The most effective programs are those that teach a wide range of important skills to give your employees new confidence with Microsoft applications as well as prepare them specifically for the kinds of skills required on the Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams.

Once your employees have completed their Microsoft Power Point training, they can continue on to training in Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook to create a well-rounded skill set that adds value to your business and prepares your staff for certification.