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Celebrating Excellence: 2025 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship

Pearson, a global leader in educational services, has officially recognized the champions of the 2025 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship, an annual competition that showcases the skills of young learners worldwide. With this year's competition taking place in Orlando, Florida from July 27-30, it marks the 23rd anniversary of an event dedicated to identifying and rewarding exceptional talent in Microsoft Office applications, specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Both students and professionals recognize the importance of digital skills in today’s job market, and the MOS competition emphasizes the value of proficiency in Microsoft Office tools that are widely used in diverse professional environments. This year, participants aged 13 to 22 represented over 190 regions around the world, each demonstrating their knowledge and skills through rigorous qualifying exams and regional competitions leading up to the championship.

The Path to Victory

The competition featured various events, including hands-on examinations that tested participants’ capabilities in practical scenarios. Competitors worked to complete exam projects and tackle free-form challenges that allowed them not only to showcase their technical knowledge but also their creativity. In a standout project for this edition, contestants crafted documents for the non-profit organization Limbitless Solutions, which specializes in providing bionic arms powered by 3D technology. This partnership highlighted the real-world applications of students’ skills in a meaningful context, reinforcing the community impact of their work.

The results of this year’s championship saw students from diverse backgrounds and countries rise to the top. The winners in each category of Microsoft Office applications were:

• - Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps): 1st Place – Hai Long Do (Vietnam), 2nd Place – Kyriaki Pesta (Greece), 3rd Place – Samantha Rojas Romero (Ecuador)
• - Microsoft PowerPoint® (Microsoft 365 Apps): 1st Place – Eleni Karakasidou (Greece), 2nd Place – Sio Pui Lei (Macao, China), 3rd Place – Santiago Higuera Rodríguez (Dominican Republic)
• - Microsoft Excel® (Microsoft 365 Apps): 1st Place – In Iat Li (Macao, China), 2nd Place – Yiu Man Raymond Mak (Hong Kong, China), 3rd Place – Son Tung Luong (Vietnam)
• - Microsoft Word (Office 2019): 1st Place – Tony Jin (USA), 2nd Place – Ornella Corio (Brazil), 3rd Place – Gerardo Delgado Amaya (El Salvador)
• - Microsoft PowerPoint® (Office 2019): 1st Place – Tsan Ying Wong (Macao, China), 2nd Place – Paula Cazco Chuquimarca (Ecuador), 3rd Place – Lucas Natal (Brazil)
• - Microsoft Excel® (Office 2019): 1st Place – Maria Abi Khalil (Lebanon), 2nd Place – Xavier Diebold (USA), 3rd Place – Amelia Ortiz De Santiago (Puerto Rico)

These winners were celebrated during the awards ceremony where the first-place recipients took home $8,000, while the second- and third-place winners received $4,000 and $2,000, respectively. Each award not only recognizes the students' hard work and commitment but also serves as a stepping stone for their future endeavors.

Building Skills for the Future

Dr. Gary Gates, Managing Director of Pearson VUE, expressed pride in the competition's legacy, emphasizing how it continues to offer young individuals a platform to gain essential skills that are ripe for the workforce. Christina Thoresen from Microsoft noted that the MOS World Championship nourishes the next generation of talent, preparing them with valuable skills for their careers.

Looking ahead, Certiport has announced that the 2026 MOS World Championship will take place at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, California, from July 26–29, 2026, ensuring that this tradition of celebrating young talent continues.

For more information about the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship and the various programs offered by Certiport, visit their website or follow the event hashtag #MOSWC on social media.