The results are in, and it’s time for us to share the winners of the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Online Championship.
In its 19th year, the competition attracted more than 200,000 contestants from 108 countries. Students, ages 13 to 22, competed with peers to prove their superior skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, culminating in the most popular technology skills competition on Microsoft Office—and the only one endorsed by Microsoft since its inception in 2002.
To enter the competition, students took a qualifying Microsoft Office Specialist certification exam to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office technology. Regional competitions were held worldwide and 160 finalists from 33 countries qualified to compete in the final round of competition held virtually from November 9-11.
The 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist World Champions are:
Microsoft Word® (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)
- First place: Ondrej Cach, Czech Republic
- Second place: Tong Man Weng, Macau
- Third place: Qiao Yan Yang, Malaysia
- Fourth place: James Phillip Ho, Philippines
- Fifth place: Zhang Shaocong, China
- Sixth place: Elta Bajrami, Kosovo
- Seventh place: Ketchen-Obi Mayuk Nkongho, Cameroon
- Eighth place: Fairianto Alfandy Firmanza, Indonesia
- Ninth place: Huang Li Yu, Taiwan
- Tenth place: Paras Girish Khetiya, Kenya
Microsoft Word® (Office 2016)
- First place: Huy Nguyen Quoc, Vietnam
- Second place: Huang Leyao, China
- Third place: Peng Yu Lin, Taiwan
- Fourth place: Hang Luong Mai, Vietnam
- Fifth place: Mihika Khadloya, India
- Sixth place: Mahmoud Elkhoshet, Egypt
- Seventh place: Ashtin Maurice Sotelo Jump, Peru
- Eighth place: Giovanni Armentano, Uruguay
- Ninth place: Filip Naskovski, Macedonia
- Tenth place: Alyssa Teo, Singapore
Microsoft PowerPoint® (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)
- First place: Andrew Chuang Saladin, USA
- Second place: Ma. Jessa Gomez, Philippines
- Third place: Hung Ka Hin, Hong Kong
- Fourth place: Li Jifan, China
- Fifth place: Gabriel Yohan Enggalim Kobak, Indonesia
- Sixth place: Tung Lok Yiu, Hong Kong
- Seventh place: Yuiko Sugita, Japan
- Eighth place: Petar Plamenov Petrov, Bulgaria
- Ninth place: Feng Ka Seong, Macau
- Tenth place: Ankain Lesly Chuo, Cameroon
Microsoft PowerPoint® (Office 2016)
- First place: Masaharu Komiyama, Japan
- Second place: Carson Mulvey, USA
- Third place: Siddh Vora, India
- Fourth place: Zhou Siqi, China
- Fifth place: Antonios Nehme, Lebanon
- Sixth place: Gaurav Chaudhary, Nepal
- Seventh place: Kiet Nguyen Anh, Vietnam
- Eighth place: Ip Wai Kei, Macau
- Ninth place: Chan, Pak Yin, Hong Kong
- Tenth place: Fabian Pavel Velicea, Romania
Microsoft Excel® (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)
- First place: Ami Nakazono, Japan
- Second place: Joaquin Saul Rivera, Peru
- Third place: Viktoria Zhelyazkova Kabaivanova, Bulgaria
- Fourth place: Jie Sheng Lim, Singapore
- Fifth place: Hira Ramful, United Kingdom
- Sixth place: Li Chi Ioi, Macau
- Seventh place: Muhamad Iqbal Nurmanditya, Indonesia
- Eighth place: Martin Saunder Delos Santos, Philippines
- Ninth place: Andreas Nalmpantis, Greece
- Tenth place: Gabriela Galeano, Paraguay
Microsoft Excel® (Office 2016)
- First place: Luo Songyao, China
- Second place: Phat Nguyen Duc, Vietnam
- Third place: Chan Ka Kiu, Hong Kong
- Fourth place: Cheong Chan Ieong, Macau
- Fifth place: Chen Hinn Woo, Singapore
- Sixth place: Chen Wei, Taiwan
- Seventh place: Ngoc Thai Bao, Vietnam
- Eighth place: Abinash Guragain, Nepal
- Ninth place: Sebastián Josué Zuniga Mendoza, Ecuador
- Tenth place: Vanessa Obiedo, Nigeria
In the concluding round, competitors participated in a two-part skills demonstration. The first skills demonstration was a 30-minute timed exam. The second, an advanced three-hour research project, in which students research their given topic, formulate an opinion, and represent their conclusions and research in an asset appropriate to the competition application (Word report, Excel workbook, or PowerPoint presentation). This is the first year where students competed virtually, and the first year that students were required to complete a free-form project.
bahabeach and Microsoft recognized the top student competitors in the MOS World Championship Online Awards Ceremony and presented each First place winner with a $7,000 cash prize, Second place with $3,500 and Third place with $1,500.
“In 2020, we missed the opportunity to showcase the incredible talents and accomplishments of these MOS Champions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we couldn’t let the global pandemic stand in the way in 2021,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE. “It is inspiring to see students from 33 countries come together virtually to ‘speak Microsoft’. The winners receive extra praise, but every single student who entered has earned a valuable workforce credential that will help them find success in college and in their career. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of IT skills for tomorrow’s professionals and it’s incredible to see so many young people get introduced to IT certifications through the MOS World Championship.”
Microsoft Office Specialist is the only official Microsoft-recognized certification for Microsoft Office globally and serves as a powerful instrument for assessing students’ skills and preparing them for real-world application of their knowledge.
“The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is one of my favorite events, because these students are thrilled to compete and they inspire all of us with their competitive spirit and crowning achievement,” said Leigh Creswell - Director, Public Sector Skills, Microsoft. “These young people who worked to earn valuable industry-recognized certifications represent a bright future for our industry and a solid foundation for the future skilled global workforce."
Next year, we will host the 2022 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, CA, from July 24-27, 2022. To learn more about the event, visit the MOS World Championship page here.