The MO-400: Microsoft Outlook (Outlook and Outlook 2019) exam offered by Microsoft is meant to test an individual's ability to handle the features available in Microsoft Outlook and Outlook 2019. Since it is a program that makes handling workforce operations much more efficient with its mailing, scheduling, and task management options, it is used by professionals in different industries and varying hierarchies all around the world. And the candidates who manage to pass the MO-400 exam will be Microsoft Outlook experts that can make a great contribution to an organization through skillful management of tasks. It will also earn them the Microsoft Office Specialist: Outlook Associate (Outlook and Outlook 2019) certification.

Who Is The Microsoft MO-400 Exam Intended For?

The Microsoft MO-400 exam is designed for Outlook users who have procured a good level of expertise in using all of its features most efficiently. In particular, they should have about 150 hours of instruction and practical experience with the product. This entails that the intended candidates must be able to customize the user interface according to an organization's requirements, handle meeting requests and respond to emails, use graphic elements, create calendars, plan meetings, assign tasks, etc.

Exam MO-400: Microsoft Outlook (Outlook and Outlook 2019) Details

MO-400 is an intermediate-level MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) exam. MOS exams are generally allotted a duration of 50 minutes. While the vendor does not state the exact type or number of questions candidates will be facing in their exams, they do have a list of the type of questions you can expect to face. They are active screen, best answer, build list, case study, drag and drop, multiple-choice, hot area, short answer, and repeated answer choices.

Interested candidates can schedule this exam by visiting the official website and completing the registration process on the Certiport platform with a fee of $100.

Microsoft MO-400 Exam Syllabus

The MO-400 exam does not require any prerequisites, however, candidates are expected to have a thorough understanding of the workings of the Outlook software since the exam will be evaluating their skills in several areas related to it. The key areas tested are as follows:

Exam Domain 1: Management Of Settings And Processes

This domain accounts for 15-20% of the exam. This section includes the customization of Outlook settings where you will be altering the display of tasks, messages, contact records, and calendar items, adding accounts, and configuring automatic replies. In addition to that, a candidate's ability in performing search operations and configuring mail settings will also be tested. For that, they need to be competent in creating search folders, using advanced find for searches, searching for contacts, tasks, messages, etc, specifying default font types, maintaining signatures, and customizing settings for reply messages. Examinees will also be questioned on the aspect of printing and saving information which includes printing various information on tasks, contacts, and messages, previewing and saving attachments, and saving messages in different formats.

Exam Domain 2: Management Of Messages

30-35% of the MO-400 exam will be off of this domain. Under this domain, candidates will be expressing their capabilities in creating, organizing, managing, and inserting content into messages. This accounts for skills in handling message attachments, making proper use of CC (Courtesy Copy) and BCC (Blind Courtesy Copy), forwarding messages, using the mention feature, flagging and setting the importance of outgoing messages, inserting images, hyperlinks, and signatures, sorting and categorizing messages, creating folders, transferring messages to folders, changing the display of messages, and ignoring messages. All of this is very important for a business since communication plays an important role in business dealings.

Exam Domain 3: Management Of Schedules

You can expect 30-35% of the questions to be from this section. To be able to answer questions from this domain, candidates are required to be competent in creating and managing calendars, and scheduling and organizing events, meetings, and appointments. In detail, they must have the mastery to handle multiple calendars and set work times, make calendar items from messages and set recurring items, cancel meetings, set appropriate time zones, check availability for calendar items, and use the scheduling assistant to set up meetings. Moreover, candidates should be well-versed in the process of forwarding and updating calendar items, setting reminders, responding to invitations, and inviting participants.

Exam Domain 4: Management Of Tasks And Contacts

15-20% of the exam will question you on this domain. In this section, candidates will be tested on the features of creating and managing tasks, contact records, and contact groups. This includes skills in importing contacts, editing contact information, and sharing contacts among individuals. Examinees will also be assessed on their competence in creating and deleting contact groups, adding new contacts to contact groups, updating contacts, and removing members from contact groups.

Career Opportunities And Salary Prospects

Many people may have experience in using Microsoft Outlook, but most of them don't know how to make the best use of the features it offers. So the MO-400 exam can be tough for unprepared individuals to pass. As mentioned previously, acing this exam and earning the Microsoft Office Specialist: Outlook Associate (Outlook and Outlook 2019) certification makes you an expert in the software. And as it is a valuable software that is now used in all organizations around the world, being certified in Microsoft Outlook will certainly give you a better chance of getting hired to jobs that require such skills. Some of such job roles include Office Manager, Workbook Developer, Executive Assistant, Research Analyst, Administrative Assistant, SharePoint Specialist, IT Support Technician, and Database Specialist.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a Microsoft Office Specialist is approximately $49,886 per year. However, an individual's salary can vary between $21,500 to $104,000 depending on factors such as their experience, the organization they work in, the location, and so on.

A point you must keep in mind is that the Microsoft MO-400 exam and its certification come to play not only for jobs directly related to it. Having the skills to operate Microsoft Outlook can assist you in managing your tasks in just about any job role. And for this reason, you become a valuable asset in the eyes of potential employers over other non-certified individuals. Hence, it will not only give you access to more career opportunities but also garner better salary prospects.