A Wisconsin high school student has clinched the top spot in Microsoft Excel at the 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) State Championship Spring Qualifier, punching a ticket to the national finals in Nashville. Malea Lopes-Serrao from D.C. Everest Senior High School placed first in Excel, while several classmates secured top-ten finishes across Microsoft Office apps, underscoring the school’s growing reputation in technology certification.
The competition, held virtually in March 2026, drew hundreds of students from across Wisconsin vying for MOS credentials in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Organizers from Certiport, Pearson VUE’s certification arm, administered timed exams that tested real-world proficiency—not just feature memorization. Lopes-Serrao’s victory in Excel highlights the advanced data management and analysis skills increasingly demanded by modern workplaces.
From Virtual Qualifiers to In-Person Glory
Spring qualifiers serve as gateways to the MOS U.S. National Championship, where winners compete against peers from all fifty states. This year’s nationals will take place in June in Nashville, Tennessee, marking a return to an on-site showdown after years of remote events. For Wisconsin’s qualifiers, the stakes are high: national champions earn prizes, scholarships, and an invitation to the MOS World Championship.
D.C. Everest didn’t just produce a single standout. In total, six students landed in Wisconsin’s top-ten rankings across multiple applications. This breadth signals a robust career and technical education (CTE) program that integrates Microsoft 365 certifications directly into coursework. Teachers have embedded MOS preparation into business, computer science, and even social studies classes, making digital fluency a graduation-ready skill.
The school’s approach mirrors a national trend: by 2026, over 70 percent of middle-skill jobs require proficiency in productivity software, according to labor market analytics firm Burning Glass. MOS certifications provide an industry-recognized benchmark, giving students a head start on résumés and college applications.
Inside the MOS 2026 Spring Qualifier
The Spring Qualifier exam format goes beyond basic multiple-choice. Candidates must complete a series of project-based tasks within the actual Microsoft 365 apps—creating pivot tables in Excel, designing slide masters in PowerPoint, using mail merge in Word. Each task mirrors a puzzle a professional might encounter: clean a dataset, format a report, automate a mail-out.
Certiport scores these performance-based exams instantly, with results verified through secure proctoring. “It’s not about clicking ribbon buttons,” explained Ray Murray, Pearson VUE’s business development director, in recent remarks. “We’re measuring the ability to solve problems efficiently using the full toolset. That’s what employers value.”
For the Excel 2019/365 track, which Lopes-Serrao aced, tasks likely included managing worksheets and workbooks, creating tables and charts, applying formulas and functions, and performing data analysis. The exam’s difficulty scales with the certification level—Expert exams, for instance, require advanced skills like Power Pivot and What-If Analysis. Wisconsin’s qualifier used the Associate-level exam, a stepping stone toward Expert and Master certifications.
Student Spotlight: Skill Meets Opportunity
Lopes-Serrao’s Excel win didn’t happen by accident. She has been honing her spreadsheet skills since freshman year, first through a mandatory digital literacy class, then via electives in accounting and AP Computer Science Principles. “Excel felt like a superpower,” she said in an interview with the school’s CTE coordinator. “I could visualize data, build models, and actually understand what the numbers meant.”
Her project portfolio includes a mock personal budget tracker using conditional formatting and a volunteer scheduling dashboard built with VLOOKUP and macros. Such hands-on projects align with D.C. Everest’s “Portrait of a Graduate” framework, which prioritizes collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
Other top-ten finishers from the school include students who excelled in PowerPoint and Word. Their names and exact placements were not released district-wide, but the cumulative showing has already boosted enrollment in the CTE department’s advanced Microsoft courses for the 2026–27 academic year.
The Rise of MOS in K–12 Education
Microsoft Office Specialist certifications have quietly become a staple in American high schools. Over 1.5 million exams are delivered annually worldwide, with the U.S. accounting for roughly 40 percent of that volume. Certiport’s partnership with state departments of education allows schools to offer exams at discounted rates, often bundled with curriculum resources like GMetrix practice tests.
Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction endorses MOS as an approved industry credential for its Career and Technical Education incentive grant program. Schools receive a per-student funding bump for each certification earned, creating a virtuous cycle of investment in hardware, software, and teacher training.
At D.C. Everest, the CTE team uses a scaffolded approach. Freshmen start with the Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate certification, which validates foundational skills. Juniors and seniors can pursue Expert-level credentials or branch into the Microsoft Certified Educator pathway, which focuses on integrating technology into teaching.
The payoff is tangible. According to a 2025 Pearson study, students who earn at least one MOS certification are 15 percent more likely to enroll in a two- or four-year college and 22 percent more likely to complete a STEM degree. And entry-level wages for Excel-proficient workers are 12 percent higher than the median, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nashville Nationals: What Awaits the Winners
The MOS U.S. National Championship in Nashville isn’t just a trophy dash. Competitors attend a multi-day experience that includes networking with Microsoft executives, workshops on emerging tools like Microsoft Copilot and Power Platform, and a career expo with tech employers. Past champions have interned at Microsoft, Google, and Deloitte.
This year’s event will introduce a new certified category tied to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, reflecting the shift toward cloud-based, collaborative workflows. Students will be tested on integration across Teams, SharePoint, and the Office web apps—skills that go far beyond offline file management.
For Lopes-Serrao, the trip to Nashville represents more than a contest. “I want to see how Excel fits into bigger things—like business intelligence and AI,” she said. “I’ve been playing with Excel’s Power Query, but I know there’s so much more.”
Her teacher, Mark Wood, draws parallels to athletics. “We talk about practice, game day, and the championship mindset. Certifications give every kid a chance to be a varsity player in a skill that matters.”
Windows and the Productivity Ecosystem
Windows enthusiasts reading this story will appreciate that MOS certification is deeply woven into the operating system’s fabric. Microsoft 365—the suite behind Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook—runs natively on Windows 11 and the forthcoming Windows 12. Features like Snap Layouts, Widgets, and even the Copilot key on new keyboards enhance how students interact with these apps.
Microsoft’s education investments, including Windows 11 SE and Intune for Education, lower the barrier for schools to deploy secure, manageable devices. D.C. Everest uses a fleet of Surface Laptops running Windows 11, managed through Microsoft Endpoint Manager. This setup ensures that every exam environment matches what students encounter in class—no compatibility surprises.
Moreover, the MOS program aligns with the broader certification ecosystem Microsoft has built around Azure, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365. A student starting with an Office Specialist credential can later transition into the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate or the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals, building a career pathway brick by brick.
Community Reaction and Next Steps
While the provided community discussion was quiet on this specific event, the broader online Windows and education forums are abuzz with MOS success stories. Reddit’s r/microsoft365, for instance, regularly features posts from teachers sharing certification strategies and from students asking which exam to take first. Common advice: start with Word Associate, then move to Excel Expert if data interests you, or PowerPoint Expert for design-oriented careers.
D.C. Everest plans to build on its qualifier momentum. The district will host a summer bootcamp for incoming freshmen, using the MOS exams as a capstone. Local businesses have expressed interest in sponsoring exam fees, seeing it as a pipeline for future interns and employees.
Superintendent Dr. Kristine Gilmore noted in a statement: “Technical certifications are no longer optional extras. They’re essential proof that our students are ready for college, careers, and life. Malea’s achievement inspires all of us.”
As the June championship approaches, all eyes will be on Nashville. For Windows watchers, it’s a reminder that the OS isn’t just about Start menus and security updates—it’s the platform where tomorrow’s tech leaders cut their teeth. And for one Wisconsin student, it’s the start of something much bigger than a spreadsheet.
How to Get Involved in MOS Competitions
Students and educators interested in joining the MOS championship circuit should begin by contacting Certiport’s official website or speaking with a school CTE coordinator. Exams cost roughly $100 per attempt, though many states offer vouchers. Practice materials from GMetrix simulate the testing environment and are widely recommended.
For teachers, Microsoft Learn for Educators provides free curriculum and professional development. The program includes access to Microsoft Teams for collaboration, Minecraft Education for younger students, and enough hands-on labs to prepare an entire class for Associate-level exams.
As the spring qualifier season wraps up across the country, stories like D.C. Everest’s highlight how a single certification can open doors—and how Windows continues to be the operating system of choice for educational excellence.