10/3/2001 -- Nivo International, the organization that runs the Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program for Microsoft, informed CertCities.com yesterday that its Word and Excel XP exams have gone live.

While no information is as yet available on the Microsoft Web site, Nivo said that the Core and Expert exams for both applications are now live and available at testing centers worldwide.

Beta testers who passed the test versions of these exams should be receiving their certificates soon, Nivo said.

No word was given on the status of other XP-related MOUS exams, although ones for Access, PowerPoint and Outlook are expected. -B.N.