Each year, tens of thousands of students from around the world enter their Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams into the MOS World Championship. Certifying in countries around the world, these students are fluent in Microsoft Office, and ready to showcase their skills on the world stage.
But what does it take to compete in the MOS World Championship? Now you can find out. A new documentary, Spreadsheet Champions, produced by GoodThing Productions, reveals just how much hard work goes into becoming a Microsoft Excel Champion.
Mason Braithwaite is one of the documentary’s stars. A quirky and endearing American teen whose love for spreadsheets is matched only by his fascination with ham radio, Mason recently shared his experience with us. Discover how his life was impacted by MOS certification and the MOS World Championship.
“A very social nerd”
Certiport: Mason, it’s such a pleasure to sit down with one of our incredible documentary stars. Tell us a little about yourself.
Mason: I would describe myself as a very social nerd. I love math, computers, the sciences, and feel at home with products like Microsoft Office. I'm just a very curious person and I love to look at how things work.
Certiport: We know that you’ve certainly excelled in the science and technology arena. What first got you interested in computers?
Mason: My dad works with computers for a living, so from a very young age, I’ve been surrounded by old computers from my dad’s collection. I’ve always loved playing around with them. Poking around and discovering how computers work led me very naturally down the path of digital literacy and technology skills. It was a very natural transition into Microsoft Office for me.
Diving into Microsoft Office
Certiport: Absolutely. You’d built skills in Microsoft Office, but when did MOS certification come into the picture?
Mason: In my school, digital literacy is a requirement for graduation. I decided to take the class as a freshman and had a fantastic teacher. She had us working on Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and Word documents. We dove into the applications, and I did really well.
In fact, the first time I sat for the MOS certification, I got a perfect score.
Certiport: No small accomplishment! And a perfect score is a great opportunity to earn a chance to compete in the MOS U.S. National Championship as well.
A spreadsheet competition?
Mason: Exactly. I didn’t know a ton about the competition before, but my parents had helped my brother travel to Florida for a cheer competition, and figured I could go to a national Microsoft Excel competition.
Certiport: It’s so wonderful that they believed in you and saw the value of giving you a platform to show your own unique skills. What was it like to compete at the MOS U.S. National Championship?
Mason: It was very interesting to meet people from all over the United States. But when it came to the test, I was surprised. It was very similar to the certification, but I didn’t have enough time to finish. I was discouraged but heard people saying that winners from past years hadn’t finished either. I thought, “Maybe I have a chance.” On the day of the awards, I was kind of a mess. The only thing I ate was Fig Newtons. I was a nervous wreck. When we sat down before the awards ceremony, a nearby teacher said, “I feel like I'm sitting next to a winner.” Much to the surprise of everyone, including myself, she was right.
Certiport: You certainly underestimated how well you did. Did you feel like you were ready to compete at the MOS World Championship? Or was that a totally different experience?
Mason: It was definitely different. Everything was on a larger scale. Meeting people from all these different countries and all over the world was totally incredible. I think it's unique that Certiport hosts these competitions, because there's people all over the world competing in this very niche event. I loved meeting all these different people around the world who were doing the exact same thing I was, people who shared my interests.
On the big screen
Certiport: There’s power in seeing that you can connect with so many people from the skills you’ve learned. Your experience was especially unique because you had the GoodThing Productions crew following you around for the documentary as well.
Mason: Yes, not just at the competition but at home as well. It was strange but honestly a lot of fun.
Certiport: The documentary, Spreadsheet Champions, is already gaining momentum. It’s premiered at South by Southwest and at HotDocs in Canada. What was it like watching yourself at the documentary premiere at South by Southwest?
Mason: I competed in 2023 and the premiere was this year, so a lot has changed. I looked different. I had a much higher voice, but still very much myself. It was a little bit awkward for me to have to sit through that for 90 minutes. After the screening they had a Q&A panel, and people really liked the film, which was great to see. Someone put a review online that said, “Release the Mason cut.”
Life after the MOS Championship
Certiport: We can’t wait for the full version and the Mason cut. We’re so excited for the world to see and embrace this documentary, and to see the impact of certification in students’ lives. How do you feel like these skills and this experience have impacted you?
Mason: It has already opened doors for me. I got a job fixing and adjusting spreadsheets with one of my mother's colleagues when she heard about my experiences at the competition and my certifications. Plus, this experience and my certification is a super good resume builder.
Of course, Excel is everywhere, and I think Excel literacy is very, very important. More of the world runs on Excel than I think most people realize. And the people who realize how much the world runs on Excel are so few and far between that it's a very in-demand skill. It’s absolutely a very lucrative skill to possess. Helping others excel
Certiport: We agree. You’ve learned so much, and we know that other students would love to be in your position. Competing at international competitions, getting job offers. What advice would you share with students like yourself?
Mason: The technical aspects of Excel are important to know, and it's useful to be good at them. But that’s not enough. You need to be able to communicate the data in an easy-to-understand way. It’s not enough to use fancy formulas if people looking at the data don’t know what it’s trying to convey. Being able to communicate well and share your knowledge is just as important as technical knowledge.
Certiport: Mason, thank you for sharing your experience and expertise with us. We can’t wait to see how you continue to use your skills and certifications after high school.
Mason: Thanks for the opportunity. And remember everyone, Excel is pretty cool!
Learn even more about Mason’s experience. Get all the documentary details here.
Interested in getting involved in the MOS Championship? Start certifying in Microsoft Office Specialist certification.