Students from Macao and Vietnam Lead 2026 Microsoft Office World Finals

The competition serves as a high-stakes arena for students aged 13 to 22, who qualified for the California finals by topping their respective national rankings. Participants were evaluated on their technical proficiency across two distinct platforms: the widely used Office 2019 and the cloud-integrated Microsoft 365 Apps.

Sio Keng Nim from Macao secured the top spot in the Microsoft 365 Word category, while Nguyen Mai Chi of Vietnam claimed gold in the Microsoft 365 Excel division. Other notable winners included Santiago Matteus Dardón Pinzón from Guatemala for PowerPoint and Reem El Shafii of Lebanon, who led the Office 2019 Word category. Pearson executive Arthur Valentine noted that these credentials provide more than just a technical badge; they represent the adaptability required for the modern workforce. As the only official Microsoft-recognized certification program, the championship highlights a growing global focus on validating digital literacy to bridge the gap between academic education and professional requirements.