MOS World Championship 2026: New Zealand Qualifier is Open
One New Zealand student will win an all-expenses-paid trip to represent New Zealand at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Anaheim, California.
Enter Now
About the Championship
The MOS World Championship, sponsored by Microsoft and delivered by Certiport, is the world's largest student competition in the world of its kind. Students from over 100 countries compete each year to demonstrate their mastery of Microsoft Office. In 2018, Avondale College's Tristan Mona won Gold for New Zealand, and we're looking for our next champion.
The top three finishers at the world final receive scholarship awards of approximately NZ$14,000 for 1st place, NZ$7,000 for 2nd, and NZ$3,500 for 3rd, along with a trophy, medal, and winner's certificate.
Who Can Enter
The qualifier is open to any New Zealand student aged 13 to 22. No prior MOS certification or experience is required.
Students choose either Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. NZIQ will select one overall winner on a scaled score that accounts for the relative difficulty of each exam.
Top 10 Leaderboard
First Update: 1st MayTrack the top 10 practice performances from across the country. The leaderboard refreshes every Friday between 1st May and the national final on 5 June 2026.
| # | Student | School | Exam | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The leaderboard opens once practice begins. Check back each Friday. | |||||
Scores shown are raw practice scores. The national winner is chosen on the scaled qualifier score, which accounts for differences in exam difficulty.
How It Works
Schools apply
A teacher or school administrator submits the application form on this page. Entries are free and close on 29 May 2026.
We email your access code
Once you submit the form, we'll email your school its unique access code along with setup and enrolment instructions.
Students practice
Each registered student gets up to 5 free practice sessions in their chosen discipline. Schools already running the MOS curriculum in class will have additional practice access through their existing Certiport licences.
Official qualifier code released
On 1 June 2026, we'll email the official competition code to every student who has (a) entered the qualifier, and (b) completed at least one practice session. Students who haven't practised aren't eligible to sit the qualifier.
One official attempt
Students have one attempt at the official qualifier, to be completed before 5 June 2026. We recommend the qualifier is sat in a classroom environment under teacher supervision.
Winner announced
NZIQ will announce New Zealand's representative the week of 8 June 2026.
Software Requirements
The Certiport testing software needs to be installed on either a school machine or the student's personal machine. The machine must have a working installation of Microsoft Office 365 with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint available.
One practice code per student. Codes are not transferable.
The Prize
The winning student receives:
- Return flights from New Zealand to Los Angeles
- Accommodation at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel for the duration of the championship
- Entry and competition fees for the MOS World Championship (26–29 July 2026)
- Time at Disneyland as part of the trip
- A chaperone from NZIQ to travel with and support them throughout
Parents and guardians are warmly welcome to attend the championship at their own expense. Please get in touch with us early so we can help coordinate travel and accreditation.
A Few Common Questions
Can a student enter more than one discipline?
Yes. However only one overall winner is selected.
What if two students score the same?
NZIQ selects the winner at its discretion, taking scaled score, completion time, and other relevant factors into account.
Does the student need to have sat a MOS exam before?
No. The 5 practice sessions are designed to get students familiar with the exam format regardless of prior experience.
What happens if the winner can't travel?
Please let us know as early as possible. We'll work with Certiport on the next steps, which may include passing the opportunity to the runner-up.