Pearson has named the champions of the 24th annual Certiport 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship, held in Nashville, Tennessee, with 140 finalists competing across Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. First-place winners include Scott Chamberlain in Word (Microsoft 365 Apps), Ethan Strayer in Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps), Rebecca Sutherlin in PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps), Reid Chapman in Word (Office 2019), Paul Hudson in Excel (Office 2019), and Amar Azar in PowerPoint (Office 2019). The six champions will advance to the Certiport 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Anaheim, California, from July 27 to 30, where they will compete against more than 100 international finalists for the world title and a $3,000 prize. Laura Peterson, Managing Director of Professional Assessments at Pearson, said the certification and competition experience provide students with a valuable credential and prepare them for an AI-driven economy. Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Global Skilling Jeana Jorgensen added that the event demonstrates how student talent, digital skills, and certification combine to ready participants for the modern workforce.
Pearson PLCPearson's certification program and competition winners highlight demand for its professional assessment services.
Microsoft Corporation