Welcome to the 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) U.S. National Championship

Prove your skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and you could win an invitation to compete in the 2026 MOS U.S. National Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center!

The MOS U.S. National Championship is a national competition that tests students’ skills on Microsoft Office applications. Participating in this competition provides an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills, make new friends, and show your expertise.

How do students compete in the MOS U.S. National Championship?

The process is simple! To receive an invitation to the MOS U.S. National Championship (June 15-17, 2026), students between the ages of 13 and 22 must earn the highest score in their state in one of the following categories:

• Microsoft Word (Office 2019)
• Microsoft Excel (Office 2019)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019)
• Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps)
• Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps)

There are two qualifying periods to enter: the Fall Qualifier and the Spring Qualifier. At the end of each competition qualifying round, we will issue invites to the students with the top scores in their exam category, for a total of twelve students from each state possible. For example, at the end of the Fall Qualifier, six invitations will be issued to students with the highest exam score per track in the state of Idaho. At the end of the Spring Qualifier, six invitations will be issued to students with the highest exam score per track in the state of Idaho.

In the case that two or more students submit the same high score, the exam time will be used as a tie-breaker (the exam taken in the least amount of time will win). Students can and are encouraged to retake their MOS certification exam(s) to improve their score and time. There is no limit to the number of times a student may take an eligible MOS exam, regardless of the pass/fail outcome, as long as the student is not in violation of the exam retake policy.

Previous participants of the MOS U.S. National Championship round can compete in this year’s championship ONLY if they are competing in a different exam category. For example, if a student competed at a prior MOS U.S. National Championship round in Microsoft Word (Office 2019) or Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps), they can participate this year in any Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint exam track but they cannot participate in the Microsoft Word track.

Students can enter their exam scores in one of two ways:

1. Enter an exam at the time of testing: While sitting for a qualifying MOS exam, you will be prompted to participate in the MOS Championship. Before the exam begins, a screen will appear with competition information and an opt-in checkbox. To submit your exam into the Championship, check the box and then select the OK button. If you pass, your exam will automatically be submitted. If you do not want to submit your exam, then you can opt out of the competition by not checking the box.
2. Enter an exam you’ve already completed: Did you complete and pass a qualifying exam but did not select to enter it into the MOS Championship? You can still enter your exam for a chance to be the next MOS U.S. National Champion! Simply follow these steps:
   1. Login to your candidate home page
   2. Click on the MOS Championship link
   3. Select the exam you would like to enter
   4. Select the ‘Register Selected Exams’ button

Check the leaderboards below to see how your school stacks up! Don’t see your state listed? Email MOSChampionship@pearson.com for a list of the top schools in your state.

If you have any questions about the 2026 MOS U.S. National Championship, email  MOSchampionship@pearson.com.