Excel certificate: what it proves and how to get one

What an employer wants to see

When a job ad asks for "strong Excel skills", the employer wants to know whether you can get a right answer out of data: a total for one department, a price looked up in a list, a yes or no based on two conditions. A certificate helps when it shows exactly that, and when the employer can check that it is real.

That is why proof that you watched a course is worth less than proof that you solved problems. And a certificate with a link anyone can open is worth more than a PDF anyone could make themselves.

Certificates from PracticeExcel

You earn a certificate for each topic you complete, such as VLOOKUP, SUMIF or IF. You get it only once you have solved every exercise in the topic, and every exercise is a formula you typed into a spreadsheet yourself, checked against the right result. Behind the scenes we change the data, so a number typed in by hand doesn't count as an answer.

You also earn a certificate when you pass one of the timed practice tests, such as the job interview test or the finance test. The passing score is set before the test starts, and the answers are graded on our server.

Every certificate has its own ID and a public page where anyone can see your name, what you completed and when. One click adds it to your LinkedIn profile with the name, issuer, date and link filled in.

What does it cost?

You can start the exercises free, without an account. Certificates come with premium, which also unlocks every exercise and every timed practice test. See the pricing page for prices. You can cancel any time.

Microsoft's official certification: MOS

Microsoft has its own certification, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS). For Excel there are two levels: Excel Associate (exam MO-210) and Excel Expert (exam MO-211). You take a timed exam, usually at a testing center, and it costs money. The price depends on the testing center.

MOS is the best-known credential, and it is the right choice when an employer or a school asks for it by name. For most office and finance jobs it isn't required, though, and many employers would rather test you themselves with a short task at the interview.

Course completion certificates

Most Excel courses, video or instructor-led, give you a completion certificate at the end. It shows you took part. It doesn't show what you learned, so pair it with something that does, such as a passed test.

Which one should you get?

If you have an Excel test coming up for a job, practice on the practice tests and earn a certificate for the one you pass. To show broader skills on your résumé, earn the certificates for the topics employers ask about most: SUMIF, IF, VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP, and summary tables. If the job ad asks for MOS, take MOS.