2018 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Champions Crowned

They came. They saw. They conquered. Students from around the globe gathered to test their Microsoft Office might at the 2018 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship last week in Florida. After intense competition among more than 152 finalist representing 51 countries, 18 winners were crowned.

Five countries were represented by the six winners to take home first place medals — each of which has an accompanying $7,000 cash prize — with two first place winners hailing from Thailand. Thailand also produced a second place winner, and South China Sea neighbor Macau equaled Thailand's overall "medal count" with three second place finishers.

One first place and one third place winner came from Taiwan, and Vietnam claimed two third place finishers. No other country produced multiple winners, with the final 8 prizes split among contestants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Hong Kong), Isle of Man, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.

Each year the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) championship event, conducted by Microsoft Learning certification and training partner Certiport, bring together students age 13 through 22 to compete for cash and prizes. Every participant must earn a qualifying MOS certification prior to joining the competition, which has regional and national qualifying rounds that lead up to the world championship.

The competition involves prizes for the most comprehensive mastery of Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel, with the winners chosen for both the 2013 and 2016 versions of each office productivity tool. The full list of 2018 winners is as follows:

Microsoft Word 2013
First Place: Chia-I Lin, Taiwan
Second Place: Kuan Hou Lei, Macau
Third Place: Doan Duc Thanh, Vietnam

Microsoft Word 2016
First Place: Apakorn Kengkanna, Thailand
Second Place: Ka Wang Sin, Macau
Third Place: Adam Drummond, Isle of Man

Microsoft PowerPoint 2013
First Place: Nutthaphong Tuemala, Thailand
Second Place: Irina Kurteva, Bulgaria
Third Place: Ba Trong Dai Nguyen, Vietnam

Microsoft PowerPoint 2016
First Place: Tristan Mona, New Zealand
Second Place: Karrah Parke, Canada
Third Place: Apinan Kamsumrit, Thailand

Microsoft Excel 2013
First Place: Yip Pak Ming, Hong Kong
Second Place: Leong Chon Hou, Macau
Third Place: Wang Li-Ting, Taiwan

Microsoft Excel 2016
First Place: Kevin Dimaculangan, United States (Florida)
Second Place: Masato Ohno, Japan
Third Place: Sead Smailagic, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 2018 championship event was held at the Hilton Orland Lake Buena Vista in Orland, Fla. Next year's event is set to be held in New York City at the New York Marriott Marquis.