Using your Test Candidate profile

The following is a collection of general guidelines for finding success and getting certified:

1. Plan to arrive at the testing location early. This reminds the proctor of your scheduled examination and gives the proctor time to ensure that the testing software is set up correctly and ready for your examination. To learn more about the overall time it takes to administer an exam (Seat Time) see our Test Candidate policies page.
2. READ THE TUTORIAL. We can’t stress this enough. From questions we get, there are many candidates who just skip to the end of the tutorial without reading it. The exam development team has written the exam tutorial to include important details that a candidate needs to know for a successful exam experience. Even if you think you have seen it before, it never hurts to review the information in the tutorial. The previous link allows you to view the tutorial in a PDF, outside of exam time or class time.
3. Familiarize yourself with the navigation. Once the tutorial concludes and the actual examination questions appear, click through several questions or a project to ensure you understand the navigation controls and screens. You can always go back to any tasks or projects by marking them for review. Your purpose here is to ensure you understand the exam software not to answer any of the tasks. Read through the instructions taking time to notice any formatting or hints and what they mean.
4. Take note of the number of tasks and/or projects and calculate an average time you will have to complete each. As you begin each task or project glance at the time and remember the average. Once you begin to approach 60 to 70% of the average time for completion of a single question begin to consider marking that question, task, and/or project for review and moving on to the next. If you have time you can go back to it through the review page at the end of the examination and prioritize the tasks you feel most confident about to do first.
5. Are the questions/tasks in sequence? With the exception of the MOS project-based examinations, there is nothing special about the order in which the tasks appear. Tackling the tasks you feel most confident about first will help you feel confident in general and will free your mind of tension. The act of finishing a task completely often unlocks the temporarily blocked mental processes; once you begin to finish tasks, you will probably find the others less formidable.
6. Use all the resources possible. After completing a task take a moment to read through the task instructions a second time and ensure that your answer covers everything that is requested and that it does not go beyond what is requested. If additional information such as images or case studies are available take time to understand them and ensure that your solutions align with them.

7. Use mnemonic devices to assist you in remembering questions, tasks, projects, or individual elements. It has been proven through the use of functional MRI technology when mapping the centers of the brain that our memories do not just come from one place. The more that you can associate things you want to remember with structures that already exist in your mind, the easier it will be to remember them. Information is easier to remember when you link it to something you already know, even if they are unrelated. The more silly, strange, or visceral the scenario, the more likely you'll remember it. 

   • Association: You are trying to remember items you need at the store, but instead you conjure images of the product packaging or the product itself in your mind instead of remembering the names. Certain words can also trigger a memory, so you could create an association string to lead you to the answer. Blue makes you remember a cruise, the cruise was taken with your friend Amy, Amy is a graphic artist, Amy's company had to deal with a lawsuit about derivative work, and there's a question about derivative work on the Photoshop exam.
   • Acronyms and acrostics: The question was asking you about carrots, asparagus, radishes, and spinach – you could remember C.A.R.S. instead. For acrostics, a famous one for remembering the taxonomic system in biology is "Kings play chess on fine green silk".
   • Rhymes: "30 days hath September, April, June, and November" or "I before E, except after C".
   • Acoustic links: You need to remember the scientific family name for frogs: “Ranidae”, and instead you remember “Rainy Day”.
   • Make it a song: From the ABC's to Do-Re-Mi, songs can be used as a tool for information recall and are even used with patients recovering from serious brain injuries.
   • Make it a story: You are trying to remember the 4 layers of TCP/IP transmission protocol (Application, Transport, Internet, and Network Access) so you instead make up something like "Steve's job application was transported to the wrong person because of an internet outage that prevented the hiring manager from gaining their network access".
   • Meditate: Mindful meditation has worked for many people as a way to gain focus. Clearing your mind of outside distractions or influence will pave a clearer path to your target. This type of meditation is even used by many memory athletes before a competition.
   • Rote memorization: Sheer repetition can be utilized in the "forget, prep, learn" loop, such as when learning the multiplication table, and may be suitable for those with poor short-term memory.
   These types of strategies attempt to link new information you are trying to learn with information you already know, and may provide your brain with a valuable shortcut when trying to recall something important.

Viewing the exam tutorials

A tutorial is a set of instructions appearing prior to an actual exam that provides help on topics such as navigating through an exam, marking a question for review, or understanding Live-in-the-Application and/or project-based elements. See our Exam Tutorials page for a list of available offline tutorials so you can review them outside of exam time or class time.

Printing a certificate

1. Click on My Transcript. Scroll over the My Certiport tab.
2. To print your certificate, click on PDF next to your certification.
3. Then click on the Print Official Certificate button in the bottom right corner.

Ordering a new certificate

1. Click on My Transcript. Scroll over the My Certiport tab.
2. To request certificates, select Personal View from the view mode drop-down menu.
3. Click the Order Official Certificate button next to your certification.

Have not received certificate

Certificates are mailed within a few days of passing exams to the address placed in your Test Candidate Profile. Allow up to 4 weeks for delivery within the U.S. and up to 6 weeks outside of the US. If the certificate is not received within this time, contact us or one of our Solution Providers.

If the CATC where the candidate took the exam has signed a site license, candidates are responsible for printing their own certificates, or the candidate can order an Official Certification through their Test Candidate account. Contact your Certiport Authorized Testing Center Administrator if more information is needed.

How to find exam results and reprint exam score report

1. Click on My Transcript. Scroll over the My Certiport tab.
2. To view failed exams, uncheck Show Only Passed Exams.
3. Click on Score Report next to the exam.

How to authorize a viewer of transcript

1. Click on My Transcript. Scroll over the My Certiport tab.
2. Change the view mode to Authorized View, which shows what your transcript will look like.
3. Click on Authorize a Viewer and follow the instructions.

Print transcript

1. Click on My Transcript. Scroll over the My Certiport tab.
2. Click Show Printable View and Print the document.

How to find your certificate verification ID

1. Click on My Transcript. Scroll over the My Certiport tab.
2. Click on PDF next to your certification.
3. ID is listed in the bottom right corner of your certificate.

Note: You can provide this ID to potential employers who can validate your certification by visiting www.certiport.com/verify

Register for an Exam Group

If you have been asked to register for an Exam Group, you may do so by entering the Exam Group ID into your Test Candidate account.

By joining an exam group you acknowledge that your exam results, along with certain personal information, may be made available to the owner of the exam group, the test center or institution.

• Login and enter the Exam Group ID into the field and click on the Register Me button

Note: You still must select/enter the Exam Group ID each time you take an exam.

Voucher policies

Refer to the Voucher policy page to view policies surrounding the use of all voucher types.

Purchase an exam voucher

For Test Candidates within the U.S.
Contact the Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC) before purchasing a voucher to ensure you are aware of its policies. If the CATC instructs you to obtain your own voucher, you may purchase a voucher by following these instructions:

1. Log in as a Test Candidate.
2. From the My Certiport page mouse over the Take an Exam button and select Purchase Exam.

For Test Candidates outside the U.S.
Contact the CATC directly for pricing. For first-time buyers, contact a Solution Provider in your area.

View an exam voucher

As a Test Candidate:

1. Log in as a Test Candidate.
2. Purchased exam vouchers are listed underneath the My Exams section.

Note: Exam vouchers should be assigned to a Test Candidate to avoid potential fraudulent redemption. Assigning a voucher can also save time by not having to enter the code during the exam launch process.

As a CATC:

1. Login as an Organization Administrator.
2. Mouse over the My Certiport tab, and click on the drop-down for Vouchers.

Redeem an exam voucher

Please take note of all exam administration policies. The exam must be taken through a Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC). Contact the desired CATC to schedule your exam and to ensure they are set up to administer it. Follow these instructions to take the exam:

1. The testing center will verify your identity upon arrival, or at some point prior to actually sitting for the exam.
2. The testing center proctor will launch the Certiport exam delivery software.

3. If you have not previously registered with Certiport, click the Register button next to "New User" within the software and follow the instructions to create a new account. Once registered, you will enter your Certiport Username and Password into the exam delivery software to begin the process.

   Note: We recommend you create your profile and have your Username and Password ready prior to sitting for the exam. Register now

4. On the exam group and payment method screen, move the slider to Yes I'm using a voucher and enter your voucher number. If you have assigned a voucher to yourself, then this field will auto-populate from a dropdown list.
5. Select your exam.
6. The proctor will verify that you have chosen the correct exam and that your voucher is valid.
7. The proctor will enter their Username and Password.
8. You are now ready to take your exam. The software will run you through a brief tutorial about how to navigate the features of the exam prior to the actual exam timer beginning. You may also view the tutorial ahead of exam day so it can be skipped during the live exam.

If you pass the exam, you will receive a score report and a sectional analysis that can be printed at the testing center. You will also receive an email notification and instructions on accessing your digital transcript. An official certificate will be mailed to the address specified in your personal profile if the certification program is fulfilled by Certiport.

If you fail the exam and your voucher included a retake, the retake code will automatically populate in the payment method field when you go to retake the test (as soon as the retake code has been generated). Retake vouchers expire 30 days after the first exam date.

Assign an exam voucher

Once you have a voucher, you may assign it to yourself. While not a requirement, doing so secures the voucher from being redeemed fraudulently.

1. Log in as a Test Candidate.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your voucher code into the field and click on Assign Voucher or License To Me. Once the voucher is assigned, you will be the only person who can use it.

For digital credentials, please refer to our badging page for more information.

Note: The use of logos has been discontinued.

Seat time

It is important to note that there is more to taking an exam than just going through the timed portion of the certification exam. Additional time will be required to administer an exam from start to finish with input from both the Proctor/Teacher as well as the Test Candidate. This administrative time combined with the allotted exam time is known as the “Seat Time”. These additional actions may include tasks and logistics such as classroom planning, launching the software, signing in, potentially downloading updates to the software and/or exam content, loading times, reading and agreeing to terms/conditions, completing demographics, reviewing the tutorial, sending in comments, and uploading/viewing the exam results.

For information on general topics when taking an exam including how simulations work, scoring questions, and program specific issues please see our CED FAQs.

What is My Pathway?

Earning multiple certifications from Certiport can lead to additional, stackable credentials. Whether you are just starting out or have already earned several certifications, you can check your pathway progress by logging in to our website as a Test Candidate and clicking on the "My Pathway" tab.

Check out our My Pathway page for more information on the many different credentials we offer.

Refer to our College credit page for information on college credit associated with Certiport's exams.

Certiport is committed to insuring that those persons with the desire to certify their proficiency in the use of computers should have the opportunity to do so. Refer to our Accommodations page for more information and forms required to apply for accommodation of disabilities.

To access the Microsoft certification dashboard you will need your Live (Microsoft) account info and your Microsoft Certified ID which are generated after you register with Microsoft and take a Microsoft exam via your Certiport profile.

To obtain your MC ID in Certiport's systems follow these instructions:

1. Log in as a Test Candidate
2. Click on My Profile in top right corner
3. Click on the Programs tab
4. Directly across from the "Microsoft" header, click Edit Registration Data and the Microsoft Registration page will open
5. The MC ID is listed in a field on the registration page as "Microsoft Certification ID"

For additional assistance with the Microsoft certification site, get help through Microsoft's moderated certification support forums.

Note: You must sign up for and manage your Microsoft Live account separately from your Certiport account.

1. Log in as a Test Candidate.
2. Click on My Profile in top right corner.

If you cannot remember your password, use our password recovery feature. You will be asked to enter your candidate username and answer your secret question. Your password will be emailed to you at the address listed in your Test Candidate Profile.

If you cannot remember your candidate username, contact us or one of our Solution Providers and provide your candidate profile information (e.g., name, email address, mailing address).

In order for a user to be added as a Proctor, they must first accept the Proctor Agreement. This can be done during the registration process by selecting the proctoring purpose on the last screen. If a user did not select this purpose during registration, they can accept the agreement by following these instructions:

1. Log in as a Test Candidate.
2. Scroll down the page and click Become a Proctor in the right-hand margin.

-or-

1. Log in as a Test Candidate.
2. Click My Profile in the top right corner.
3. Select the Roles tab.
4. Click Become a Proctor.

To actually proctor for a Certiport Authorized Testing Center, the Organization Administrator must associate you to the center and designate the user as a Proctor:

1. Log in as an Organization Administrator.
2. Mouse over the Org Profile tab and select Associations.
3. Within the Find Users section, type in the Certiport Username of the person you want to associate to your CATC and click Submit.
4. Verify that the Username is correct in the results displayed and click on the orange link for the Last Name to add them to the associations list above.
5. Once they are in the associations list, you can then place a checkmark next to their name under the Proctor column.
6. The user is now associated to your CATC and designated as a Proctor. They can now use their credentials to Proctor any certification exam administered via a Certiport delivery system/solution.

As part of our ongoing effort to enhance the value of Certiport certification, certain security measures are in place to protect the integrity of the exams. Familairize yourself with all of the Exam Policies, including the Candidate Non-Disclosure Agreement, Retake Policies, and Security Procedures.

Challenging an exam item (Grievance policy)

An important part of the certification exam development process is to review each exam question to ensure technical accuracy, clarity, relevance, and absence of ambiguity and bias. In the event you believe a particular exam item is not valid, you may request an evaluation of the item. Read the Grievance policy.

Exam Retake Policies

View Exam retake policies for all exams.

Achieving the Expert or Master distinction gives you the power to market your skills from the most widely used business platform in the world. Companies pay Microsoft Office Specialists 12 percent more than their non-certified counterparts*.

*According to a study conducted by premier staffing firm, Robert Half International (RHI).

Learn more about becoming a Microsoft Office Expert:

• MOS 365 Apps Expert
• MOS 2019 Expert

Learn more about becoming a Microsoft Office Master:

• MOS 2016 Master