Are you a computer applications teacher charged with teaching Microsoft Office and preparing students for Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification?
The Microsoft Office Specialist certification is intended to measure your students’ proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, or Outlook.
While you may be familiar with using these applications, it's not always easy to teach your students the skills they need to pass the MOS certification exams!
As a computer applications curriculum developer, teachers often ask if our digital curriculum, Business&ITCenter21, can prepare students for Microsoft Office Specialist certification.
We work with thousands of middle and high school teachers who use Business&ITCenter21 to prepare students for the MOS exams for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
In our experience, we find teachers (and students) have the most success when using a curriculum like Business&ITCenter21 for their daily teaching and then mixing a Microsoft Office test prep resource in towards the end of the semester.
When we discuss this blended learning strategy with teachers, they often ask us which MOS test prep materials we’d recommend as a supplement to their computer applications curriculum.
In this post, you'll read a comparison of popular Microsoft Office test prep materials, including GMetrix, JasperActive, and TestOut.
1. GMetrix
GMetrix is a test prep resource that teachers use to supplement lessons and prepare students for the Microsoft Office Certification exams. It's designed to help students prepare through repetition and MOS certification practice tests using the GMetrix Skills Management System.
It's a straightforward choice with one purpose that you can easily use to help students prepare for their MOS exams.
GMetrix won't provide a Microsoft Office curriculum, but it will provide an array of MOS certification practice tests for repetitive practicing and test preparation.
Pros of GMetrix
- The software grades student projects automatically for teachers
- Students don't require access to Microsoft Office; the software recreates the program in their web browser
Cons of GMetrix
- Coursework practice focuses on repetition learning, which can be less engaging for students
- GMetrix is not a Microsoft Office curriculum; the material is strictly focused on MOS certification test prep
Cost of GMetrix Microsoft Office Certification Test Prep
You can expect to pay between $40.00 and $75.00 per student for access to the GMetrix practice exams, depending on the programs you want to cover. There are also license options for school sites, campuses, and sitewide.
Read More: What's the Difference between GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 for MOS Certification Prep?
2. JasperActive
JasperActive for Microsoft Office is a learning system that provides exercises, knowledge checks, assessments, assignments, projects, and MOS certification practice tests to prepare students for the Microsoft Office Certification Test.
The LMS style allows students and teachers to track the student’s progress through the program.
Pros of JasperActive
- Supports newer versions of Office, including 365
- Gamification with badges keeps students engaged
- Integration within the Microsoft Office applications
Cons of JasperActive
- Requires a complete, local installation of the Office software
- Only works with Office 2016, 2019, and Office 365
Cost of JasperActive Microsoft Office Certification Test Prep
You can expect to pay between $150.00 and $300.00 per student for access to the JasperActive courseware for all of the Microsoft programs. There are also license options for school sites, campuses, and districts.
3. TestOut
TestOut's Office Pro Courseware is test prep coursework to prepare students for the Microsoft Office Certification Test through coursework, including videos, simulations, fact sheets, and exams.
While GMetrix is primarily preparation through practice exams, TestOut’s Office Pro will provide more guided courseware with a course outline for the teacher to follow.
Due to the emphasis on application programming, Office Pro will work best for high school and college-level IT and networking students as supplemental Microsoft Office test prep.
Pros of TestOut
- Coursework covers more topics in detail
- Good material for advanced IT and Networking students
- The software grades student projects automatically for teachers
Cons of TestOut
- The material in Office Pro only covers Microsoft Office 2019, which may not be compatible with what your school has available
- The material may be confusing for younger students
- Office Pro is not a Microsoft Office curriculum; the material is strictly for Microsoft Office test prep
Cost of TestOut Microsoft Office Certification Test Prep
TestOut Monthly Training provides CompTIA, Cisco, EC-Council, and Microsoft training courses
for $79.00 a month per student with options and discounts for schools, districts, campuses, and sitewide.
Read More: 3 Steps to Prep Your Students for the MOS Word 2019 Exam
Prepare Your Students for Success on the MOS Exams and Their Careers
There is no single best option for Microsoft Office Certification Test prep for your students. We believe that teachers who work off a foundational Microsoft Office curriculum in conjunction with test prep resources and other materials create the best blend for student success.
Many computer applications teachers choose to build their curriculum from scratch or pull together lessons and activities from a variety of sources. Both of these options can work well for teachers who enjoy spending time creating a curriculum just for them.
However, if you need a more robust solution, consider checking out Business&ITCenter21. It’s a digital curriculum used by thousands of teachers to teach computer applications classes focused on Microsoft Office.
The curriculum also includes learning modules for Google Applications, digital citizenship, coding fundamentals, and other digital literacy topics.
To see if Business&ITCenter21 is a good fit for your classroom, watch our free demo:
