There are many computer training institutes scattered all over the world offering Microsoft Office Training – both online and offline. This article covers links to some of the best free online Microsoft Office training courses and materials and can be considered a resource to aid the learning of MS Office, at your pace, from anywhere in the world.
Free online Microsoft Office training courses
What could be the best option than to learn the software from the developers of the software? Microsoft offers plenty of courses that enable you to learn Office-related software online. You can learn at your pace. The courses are available as text and as webcasts that you can view and take notes. Different courses are available online for different apps in Microsoft Office. Also, there are different courses for different versions of Microsoft Office. You can learn Office, depending upon what version you are using.
You can also opt to get certified by taking online tests at a small fee. The courses are free, but when you register to take an exam to get a certification, you will have to pay some fee related to the exam you are taking. You can take an exam for the entire Microsoft Office Suite or different apps in the MS Office suite – such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, MS OneNote, and more.
These certificates come from Microsoft and are considered better than any other type of certificate. Visit the online training resources for MS Office on Microsoft’s website to know more.
Read about the benefits of Microsoft certifications in our article at The Windows Club. It explains how you gain an edge over others with a Microsoft Certification.
Learn Office from Microsoft Partners
Next, to get trained at your own pace using the tutorials and webinars presented on the Microsoft Office training website, the best method is to get enrolled with a Microsoft partner who can offer you online training. Microsoft partners are individuals or institutions that have people trained vigorously in different fields of Microsoft Office. They have tools and book material that other institutions cannot lay their hands on. These help you with training better. It depends upon Microsoft Learning Partners whether they offer individual training for individual office components such as MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint.
Not all Microsoft Learning Partners may be able to provide you with online training. You can – however – find out a Microsoft Learning Partner who can train you on online Microsoft Office training courses. They will charge for training and for providing you with the training material. Then you can opt for examinations from Microsoft. At the end of the training, you can opt to get a certification from the partner institution or Microsoft. I would recommend the latter as it has many benefits over regular institutions’ certificates. It makes you stand out of the crowd and gives your resume the boost it requires to land you a decent job. Learn about Microsoft Learning Partners here.
Read: Best Microsoft Certifications that pay well
Other Office Training Materials & Resources
Other than being trained directly on my own using Microsoft Office resources from the Microsoft Office website and from being trained by Microsoft Learning Partners, many websites on the Internet offer free training on Microsoft office. Some of these websites impart training upon registration, and some offer direct training. You may or may not be charged for training, but you will certainly have to pay a fee if you decide to go for certification.
Some of these noteworthy online Microsoft Office Training resources are:
- LearnFree.org
- Alison.com, Online Microsoft Office Education
- Lynda.com offers course material which is free, but you need to become a paid member so that you can access all the material for free; I would not have mentioned it, but since it is a popular learning place, it deserves a mention.
There are still many websites that offer free and paid training for Microsoft Office products but since you would want to get a good career, try and get a certificate from a well-known institution, if not directly from Microsoft.
All the best!
