Microsoft VBA Excel Certification
Why certify in Microsoft VBA Excel?
Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel VBA, and Power BI) are foundational tools for productivity in schools and workplaces across the United States. Widely used in academic institutions and professional environments, Microsoft Office remains a standard for creating documents, analyzing data, delivering presentations, professional communication through Outlook, data visualization and business intelligence with Power BI, and workflow automation using VBA. A Microsoft VBA Excel certification allows students and job seekers to demonstrate their proficiency in a programming and automation language and supports their academic success and long-term career readiness.
Tosa certification for Microsoft Excel VBA measures real proficiency with no prerequisites. It is ideal for students and adult learners seeking to validate their ability to automate spreadsheets, create macros, and develop efficient Excel-based workflows.
Skills Assessed
The Tosa Microsoft VBA Excel certification exam evaluates four key domains:
Objects
This domain covers knowledge of Excel-related objects and all types of collections that contain objects (workbooks, worksheets, rows/columns, cells, charts). It also covers declaring variables, manipulating charts, and managing object building blocks (fields, properties, methods, events).
Procedures
This domain evaluates the candidates’ ability to code within procedures, handle procedures (conditions, loops, errors, events, etc.), and call procedures.
Dialog Boxes, Forms, and ActiveX Controls
This domain covers ActiveX controls, simple dialog boxes (MsgBox, InputBox), and Userforms (building with different controls, display, events, and usage).
Environment and Debugging Tools
This domain covers creating custom functions, different editor windows (properties, spy, etc.), and using instructions (points of interest, stop instructions, step-by-step debugging, error handling). It also covers creating add-ins and code protection.
Certification Exam Specifications
Test Format
The Tosa certification for Microsoft VBA Excel lasts one hour and uses a 35-question adaptive exam drawn from a pool of more than 200 items, including multiple-choice, interactive, and live in-application tasks. The test evaluates a candidate’s skills and knowledge in the four domains presented above and selects questions from five difficulty levels depending on the abilities of the test taker.
Exam Conditions
Tosa certification exams are not open book. The certification tests must be taken in a secure environment and are proctored at all times in accordance with the Tosa Exam Policy. Adaptive testing produces a unique sequence of items for each candidate, reducing the risk of cheating and item memorization. In-person and remote proctoring options are available.
Validity and Retakes
The certification is valid for 3 years. Earners may retest anytime to improve their score or to maintain their certification. There is a minimum 24-hour waiting period between two retakes. Candidates receive a new version of the test with each attempt.
Score, Proficiency Level, and Award
The result of the exam is a numeric score between 1 and 1000 points associated to a proficiency level. It is calculated using a pattern-scoring model (IRT). The minimum score required to earn the certification is 551. Certification earners receive a Tosa certification diploma that indicates the test date, the score, and the proficiency level achieved. It contains a unique authentication code for online verification. Earners with a score of 551 and above are also eligible to receive a Credly digital badge.
| Score | Proficiency Level | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1-350 | Beginner | Certificate of Completion |
| 351-550 | Basic | Certificate of Completion |
| 551-725 | Productive | Diploma and Credly Digital Badge |
| 726-875 | Advanced | Diploma and Credly Digital Badge |
| 876-1000 | Expert | Diploma and Credly Digital Badge |
Preparing for a Certification Exam
Reaching a productive level or higher typically requires around 150 hours of training and hands-on practice with Microsoft VBA Excel, depending on prior knowledge and learning format. To prepare for the Tosa exam, we recommend that learners:
Utilize the Tosa Exam Blueprint
Take a Tosa practice assessment
Each Tosa certification includes two practice assessments to be used as a pre-course assessment and a post-course assessment. The pre-assessment helps determine the initial skill gaps to cover during the course. The post-assessment allows for progress measuring and ensures exam readiness.
Access a free sample of the Microsoft VBA Excel practice assessment test.
Complete a Tosa-aligned course
Validate Mastery in the Microsoft Office Suite of Applications with a Tosa Certification Bundle
Tosa Certified User for Microsoft Office
This credential verifies a learner's versatility and expertise in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. It’s available at two levels:
Experienced User
Earned by scoring 551-725 (Productive level) on Tosa Microsoft Excel, Tosa Microsoft Word, and Tosa Microsoft PowerPoint.
Professional User
Earned by scoring 726+ (Advanced or Expert level) on Tosa Microsoft Excel and Tosa Microsoft Word, plus one of the following at Productive level or above: Tosa Microsoft PowerPoint, Tosa Microsoft Outlook, or Tosa Microsoft VBA Excel.
How to earn the Tosa Certified User for Microsoft Office credential?
Candidates are automatically awarded the Tosa Certified User for Microsoft Office credential in one of two ways. They can earn the credential after completing and earning the Tosa Microsoft Excel, Tosa Microsoft Word, and Tosa Microsoft PowerPoint certifications at the minimum required score. Candidates can also earn the credential by completing Tosa Microsoft Excel, Tosa Microsoft Word, and one of the following individual certifications: Tosa Microsoft PowerPoint, Tosa Microsoft Outlook, or Tosa Microsoft VBA Excel. The Tosa Certified User for Microsoft Office Diploma is issued and emailed to the earner within 5 business days from completing the required exams.
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