11/13/2002 -- Almost a year after introducing the rest of its XP/2002 Office Specialist (formerly MOUS) certification exams, Microsoft quietly announced a new title: Microsoft Project 2002 Comprehensive.

According to the certification section of Microsoft's Web site, the title -- which appears to have debuted in early October -- tests candidates' "knowledge, skills, and abilities that subject-matter experts have identified as being central to the productive use of Microsoft Project." It is available worldwide at iQ testing centers. Objectives for the exam can be found here.

Like the Project 2000 exam, Project 2002 Comprehensive does not count toward the Master Office Specialist track.

Microsoft appears to like the new Comprehensive moniker; it also recently changed the name of its PowerPoint 2002 title from Core to Comprehensive. Microsoft gave no reason for the name change on its Web site, and representatives for Microsoft and Certiport -- the company that manages the Office Specialist program for Microsoft -- could not be reached for comment before press time.

More information about Microsoft's Office Specialist program, click here. -B.N.