WCSU Accounting Department Policy on Excel Certification - January 22, 2021
Beginning in the Fall 2019 Semester, all students enrolled in ACC 302, Intermediate Accounting II, are required to successfully complete a basic Excel Certification exam to complete the class. The following guidelines will help students, including transfer students, to navigate through this new requirement.
Why is Excel certification necessary?
Given the nature of a modern accounting curriculum, upper-level accounting courses, such as Cost Accounting, Consolidations, Auditing and Data Analytics in Accounting, are incorporating Excel into the curriculum. Further, employers are increasingly requiring applicants to have Excel skills to be considered for employment. Underscoring its importance, the AICPA incorporated Microsoft Excel into the CPA Exam in 2018. As such, the Accounting Department has determined that it has an obligation to students to ensure that they are basically qualified with Excel before progressing past ACC 302.
What Excel Certification is acceptable?
Currently, the Microsoft Excel Exam MO-200 is the approved certification exam. The exam is currently comprised of 35 tasks. Students are allowed 50 minutes to complete the exam and a passing score is 70%. It is important to note that the exam content will not be taught in class. Students must prepare for the exam independently and outside of classroom hours. There are a number of inexpensive online self-study courses available, such as:
GMetrics: www.gmetrix.net
Udemy: www.udemy.com
(Keep an eye out on discount prices on sale days at Udemy's website)
These self-study courses are not WCSU courses, and students will not receive academic credit. Upon completion of the self-study course, students will take a certification exam. WCSU administers certification exams on campus (see below). The exam can also be taken off-campus at Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (see below). Note: During COVID-19 restrictions, WCSU will also administer certification exams virtually (online).
How do students go about taking the Microsoft Excel Exam MO-200?
Below are suggested steps:
On-campus and WCSU online exams
- Students enrolled in ACC 302 have paid the voucher fee for Exam MO-200 required for ACC 302.
- Create a free account at certiport.pearsonvue.com. Be sure to use your WCSU email to facilitate assigning a voucher number.
- Each student will be assigned a voucher number prior to testing.
- Select an exam date, noting whether it is in WS 117 (back of computer lab) or online. (Online exams are proctored by Dr. Donegan, there are additional instructions.)
- Exams are offered in 90-minute time slots.
- Non-ACC 302 WCSU students are encouraged to take the exam. Contact Cathy Cote at cotec@wcsu.edu, to purchase a voucher (the cost is $100). Vouchers purchased directly from Certiport cover the cost of the exam only. While WCSU does not charge additional proctoring fees for WCSU students, those who choose to test at a private testing center will incur additional fees.
Off-campus exams-ONLY FOR STUDENTS NOT ENROLLED IN ACC 302
1) Create an account at www.certiport.pearsonvue.com
2) Access “Purchase Exam Voucher” under “My Exams” for Microsoft Office Specialist Exam Voucher
3) Certiport Authorized Testing Centers can be found at: www.certiport.com/Locator.
4) Generally, it is necessary to call the testing center to schedule the certification exam.
Note: Dr. Donegan is responsible for test administration. Please direct questions to him at doneganj@wcsu.edu, 203-837-9035, WS 403.
How do students prove that they earned the Excel Certification?
Upon successful completion of the certification exam, students will receive a certificate. Students should present a copy of the certificate to their ACC 302 professor.
When should students take the Microsoft Excel Exam MO-200?
Students can take the Microsoft Excel Exam MO-200 at any time prior to or during their ACC 302 course. The department strongly recommends that students take or begin studying for the exam prior to the start of class to lighten their burden during the semester. For example, students taking ACC 302 in the fall semester should strongly consider completing or beginning to study for the certification exam during the previous summer. Students taking ACC 302 in the spring semester should strongly consider completing or beginning to study for the certification exam during the previous winter intersession.
Can students substitute an Excel course taken at a community college or another university for the Microsoft Excel Exam MO-200?
Yes, provided they can prove that they received a grade of C- or better in the course. Students will also be required to provide a course description and syllabus. The Accounting Department Chair makes equivalent course determinations on a case-by-case basis. Students that receive course equivalency are encouraged to obtain certification but not required to do so. Currently, the following courses have been approved:
Community College |
Course #
|
Course Name
|
| Housatonic CC |
ACC-123 |
Accounting Software Applications |
| Naugatuck Valley CC |
CSA-H135 |
Spreadsheet Applications |
| Northwestern CT CC |
CSA-C135 |
Spreadsheet Applications |
| Norwalk CC |
BBG-114 |
Business Application Software |
| Westchester CC |
CIS 110 |
Computer Information Systems |
Does WCSU offer an Excel course I can substitute for the Microsoft Excel Exam MO-200?
Currently, the Accounting Department is not aware of any such course offered at WCSU. However, students can apply to the Accounting Department Chair for an equivalency if they believe a course so qualifies.
What happens if students do not complete the Excel certification requirement before the conclusion of the ACC 302 course?
Students who do not complete the Excel certification requirement by the end of the semester in which they take ACC 302 may request an “incomplete” in ACC 302 from the instructor. See the WCSU Undergraduate Catalogue for more information on incompletes. Generally, as per the WCSU Incomplete Policy, students will only have six (6) weeks into the following semester to change the incomplete by obtaining Excel certification. Failure to change the grade within that timeframe will result in the default grade of “F” in ACC 302, as per the WCSU Incomplete Policy. Please note that an “incomplete” will detrimentally affect a student’s ability to register for courses in which ACC 302 is a prerequisite.
Will the Excel certification program affect my ACC 302 grade?
It could. As discussed above, students who do not obtain the Excel certification by the end of the incomplete period have not completed ACC 302 and will receive the default grade of “F” for that course. It will not affect the ACC 302 grade of students who successfully and timely complete the Excel certification requirement.
Are disability accommodations available?
Yes. Students requiring testing accommodations can apply via the Certiport website after establishing a Certiport account. Students should also reference the “Students with Disabilities” information in the ACC 302 course syllabus.
