Are you looking for ways to help your students pass the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exams?
Two common options teachers choose for MOS certification prep are GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 from iCEV.
GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 can both help your students earn MOS certifications, but they have some key differences.
So how do you know which one is right for your classroom?
In this post, you’ll read a comparison of GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21, plus recommendations on which one would work best for you and your students.
We’ll specifically discuss four key aspects of each resource you need to consider:
- Its purpose
- What’s included
- Age level
- The cost
Let’s start with the most important aspect to understand about each product -- its purpose!
Consideration 1: Purpose
When deciding on a new resource for your classroom, it’s important that it aligns with your goals.
That’s why it’s an essential question to answer when deciding between GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 for MOS certification prep!
What’s the Purpose of GMetrix?
GMetrix is a certification preparation resource often used for MOS certifications.
It’s designed to help students and professionals prepare for certifications by providing practice exams.
Though GMetrix has partnered with other publishers to sell their course content, the sole purpose of GMetrix is to help individuals review and study to pass a test.
What’s the Purpose of Business&ITCenter21?
Business&ITCenter21 from iCEV is a comprehensive curriculum system that helps teachers plan lessons, teach classes, and assess student learning.
It helps your students learn basic concepts, hone hands-on skills, and apply what they’ve learned to pass certification exams.
Ultimately, the purpose of Business&ITCenter21 is to empower your students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the workplace.
Consideration 2: What’s Included
GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 provide different types of materials to help students prepare for MOS certifications.
These distinctions are important because they reinforce the underlying purpose of each product!
What Do You Get with GMetrix?
GMetrix provides practice test bundles for 31 MOS exams across four versions of Microsoft Office:
- Microsoft Office 2010
- Microsoft Office 2013
- Microsoft Office 2016
- Microsoft Office 365/2019
The practice exams are mapped to the MOS exam objectives and include practice tests, project reviews, and skills reviews.
Though anyone can purchase these practice test bundles to prepare for an exam, GMetrix recommends everyone have prior coursework or experience with their application of choice!
Because of this, GMetrix also offers courses through a partnership with LearnKey that can be purchased to teach your students the skills found on the exams.
However, GMetrix only provides practice tests.
That means GMetrix will leave you and your students out to dry if you’re looking for a curriculum resource.
But if you only need test prep materials, GMetrix has you covered.
What Do You Get with Business&ITCenter21?
With Business&ITCenter21, iCEV covers a variety of computer applications topics, including:
- Microsoft Office 2016
- Microsoft Office 2019
- Microsoft Office 2021
- Microsoft Office 365
- Google Applications
- Digital Literacy
- Digital Citizenship
- And more!
The curriculum content is presented according to the four phases of learning, and includes classroom activities, digital lessons, skills projects, assessments, and more.
Along with the student content, you’ll get a learning management system to help you track student progress, manage your classes, and automatically grade assessments!
Overall, Business&ITCenter21 gives you a full-fledged curriculum system to help teach the skills your students need to know to become proficient with Microsoft Office and other important topics.
That makes iCEV the perfect choice if you want to teach a full class instead of just prepping for a test!
Consideration 3: Age Level
Practically anyone can take an MOS exam, but GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 work for two different groups of people.
So how do you know which one is more appropriate for your students?
What Age Level is GMetrix for?
GMetrix is presented as a solution that anyone can use to prepare for MOS certifications, no matter their age.
This aligns well with how Microsoft presents their certifications, so GMetrix makes perfect sense as a test prep resource.
However, as noted in the previous section, GMetrix recommends that you use another curriculum resource to teach the information prior to using the practice tests.
So even though GMetrix can be used by practically anyone, you still need to find a more robust resource that hits the right age level for your classes.
What Age Level is Business&ITCenter21 for?
Business&ITCenter21 is best used in middle and high school computer applications courses.
Though it’s possible for older students to use the iCEV system, the information is presented using scenarios specifically designed for middle and early high school students.
This focused approach helps you keep students engaged while teaching topics that can often be boring or overwhelming for these grades!
Ultimately, Business&ITCenter21 helps students have more success on the MOS certification exams and in their future careers when it’s used with the appropriate age groups.
Consideration 4: The Cost
When choosing a new resource for your classroom, your administrator’s biggest concern is often the cost.
That’s why it’s so important to understand how GMetrix and Business&ITCenter21 compare with their pricing!
How Much Does GMetrix Cost?
With GMetrix, you purchase a set number of practice tests each semester. These tests can range from $40 to $70 each, depending on the package.
GMetrix has strict regulations stating that each practice test license can only be used by one individual as well.
So if you teach 200 students in one semester, you’d need to buy 200 test prep packages (a minimum of $40 each)!
You can also combine GMetrix and Certiport resources to provide classroom or school-wide purchase options, but neither company provides pricing information for that option.
To learn more about the cost of the practice tests, view the GMetrix MOS product page.
How Much Does Business&ITCenter21 Cost?
Business&ITCenter21 is a subscription-based curriculum system that you can purchase for a classroom, campus, or district on a yearly basis.
The price of each package varies depending on your unique needs and how many students will be using the system each year.
The Classroom package works best for an individual teacher who teaches multiple computer applications classes per day.
The Campus package is a great option for a school with multiple computer applications teachers who plan to implement Business&ITCenter21 in their courses.
The District package is meant for district-wide implementations when an administrator is looking for all computer applications teachers in their district to use the same curriculum.
To learn more about the specifics of how much the packages cost, check out the Business&ITCenter21 pricing page.
Is GMetrix or Business&ITCenter21 Right for You?
So, is GMetrix or Business&ITCenter21 is better for your computer applications classroom?
Where Does GMetrix Work Best?
If you’re strictly looking for a supplemental MOS test prep resource, GMetrix is right up your alley.
It’s a straightforward choice with one purpose that you can easily use to help students prepare for their Microsoft Office Specialist exams.
Overall, GMetrix works best as a supplemental test prep resource for classes that already have a well-structured computer curriculum.
Where Does Business&ITCenter21 Work Best?
If you need a more robust option to help teach a variety of computer skills while also preparing students for MOS certifications, iCEV has you covered.
Along with Microsoft Office, Business&ITCenter21 includes curriculum for Google Apps, digital citizenship, social media, email, and other computer-related topics.
You’ll even find content to help teach crucial skills like professionalism, communication, and public speaking!
Ultimately, Business&ITCenter21 works best for a well-rounded computer class that focused on setting students up for success both on the MOS exams and in their future careers.
Does Business&ITCenter21 sound just like what you need?
Click below to sign up for your free 30 day trial to get started now!
