Skill in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) is a requirement for basic work-level productivity. Ensure your students or candidates are prepared for the workforce with a Word certification from a trusted, industry-recognized name in Tosa.

The Tosa Microsoft Word certification determines and validates a candidate’s proficiency and skill level in Word. The Tosa Microsoft Word certification supports students, trainees, employees, or jobseekers in their employment, professional, or academic objectives.

There are no eligibility requirements to take a Tosa certification exam. In K-12, we recommend using Tosa Microsoft certifications as part of a course or curriculum starting at grade 6.

Looking for a pre-employment test on Microsoft Word? Please visit Isograd Testing Services website.

Tosa assessments and certification exams on Microsoft Word

Assessments are not required to be proctored when taken remotely, while certification exams must be taken in-person or via our remote proctoring solution.

The Tosa Desktop Certified User for Microsoft Office certification

The Tosa Microsoft Word certification is part of the The Tosa Desktop Certified User for Microsoft Office certification .

Skills Badging with Credly

We partnered with Credly to help our earners share their new certification, and the skill set associated with it, on their resumes, CVs, or professional social media profiles. You can earn a skills certification badge from Credly when you score "Productive" level or higher on the Tosa Microsoft Word Certification Exam.

Available Badges for Microsoft Word

• Tosa Microsoft Word Certified User – Productive Level
• Tosa Microsoft Word Certified User – Advanced Level
• Tosa Microsoft Word Certified User – Expert Level

Tosa Desktop Proficiency Badging

Candidates that earn the Microsoft Word certification, plus two more Microsoft Office Tosa Desktop certifications, at the Productive level or above are entitled to receive a Tosa Desktop Certified User Credly badge that demonstrates complete proficiency in Microsoft Office software, which includes Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, VBA Excel, and Outlook.

• Tosa Desktop Certified User – Productive Level
• Tosa Desktop Certified User - Advanced Level
• Tosa Desktop Certified User - Expert Level

Skill Domains Assessed

Environment and Methods

Questions under this domain cover the most common tabs and their main functionalities: File, Home, Insert, and Page Setup. They also cover the different display modes in Word.

• Using the main functions of the software
• Knowing and customizing the software environment
• Knowing and customizing the display mode

Page layout and formatting

Questions within this domain cover basic to advanced formatting of a text or paragraph and applying a theme to a document. This domain also includes tabs, indents, borders and margins, and page and section breaks.

• Managing tables
• Applying formatting options to texts
• Creating, handling and customizing styles within documents
• Using layout tools on paragraphs
• Using layout options

Editing tools

This domain covers bullets and numbering, performing a search, and using spellcheck. Skills on the revision tools, header and footers, footnotes, and mailing tools are also assessed.

• Using entry aid tools
• Managing selection and displacement in a document
• Using and handling automation tools in documents
• Inserting and customizing references in documents

Graphic objects and tables

This domain covers skills with objects in Word documents: tables, charts, OLE objects, clipart images, and photos. Candidates will also find questions on the functionalities of editing and moving objects.

• Inserting and modifying graphic objects
• Handling tables
• Using graphic object tools

Certification Exam Detail

The Tosa Microsoft Word Certification Exam relies on a database of more than 250 questions. It is composed of a mix of 35 questions, including multiple-choice, interactive, and live in-the-application questions, and lasts 1 hour. The algorithm adapts to each answer of the candidates to adjust the difficulty level of the questions until they reach the exact definition of the candidates’ level by calculating the limit of their skills. Candidates receive a numeric score out of 1000 points associated to a proficiency level on a five-level scale. Candidates who score between 1 and 350 points don't earn the certification. They will not receive a diploma but a certificate of completion. Candidates who score 351 points or above earn the certification. They will receive a diploma by email within five (5) business days. If candidates score 551 points or above, they will also be eligible to receive a Credly digital badge.

The Tosa Microsoft Word Certification Exam is valid for three (3) years. Once expired, earners must retake the certification to maintain it over time. Earners wishing to demonstrate skills development and personal growth may re-take the exam to improve their score at any time. There is no waiting period between two attempts.

Rules & Technical Requirements

Tosa certifications must be taken under specific proctoring conditions. For Tosa certification exam rules and technical requirements, please consult the downloadable PDF below.

Prepare For Your Certification Exam

In order to be well prepared for your exam day, we recommend:
• Taking at least one Tosa assessment test prior to your exam
  The Tosa assessment test, like the certification exam, is an adaptive test composed of a mix of multiple-choice, interactive, and live in-the-application questions. It contains 25 questions and lasts 40 minutes. It does not need to be taken under proctored conditions. Results are delivered on the same 1-to-5 proficiency level scale and includes detailed skills reports to help determine student or candidate strengths and weaknesses before taking the certification exam.
• Utilizing the free practice tests available on our website
  In addition to our Tosa assessment tests, we offer short practice tests for free. Simply navigate to and click on the “Free practice test” button on the top right of the page, then select which test subject you’d like to practice.
• Taking a Tosa-aligned course
  We have partnered with several eLearning providers and publishers to provide online courses that align with the Tosa certification objectives. To achieve a productive level or higher for a Tosa certification, it requires candidates an average of 150 hours of training and hands-on experience with Microsoft Word. This average training time depends on their pre-existing skills or knowledge, the expected outcome for the certification (score/level), and the provider.

Need more details?

• Tosa Microsoft Word Certification Exam Skills Framework (PDF)
• Tosa Microsoft Word Skill Domains & Product Brochure (PDF)