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MOS Word Expert (MO-111) study materials
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MOS Word Expert (MO-111): Create Custom Document Elements

MOS Word Expert (MO-111) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Create Custom Document Elements

What this domain covers

This domain tests reusable, structured content: Building Blocks/Quick Parts, content controls, fields, and reference elements such as captions, cross-references, TOCs, indexes, and bibliographies.

Core rules

  • Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery stores a Building Block with name, gallery, category, and template. The Building Blocks Organizer edits or deletes entries. AutoText is a gallery within the same system.
  • Content controls (Developer > Controls) include plain text, rich text, picture, dropdown, combo box, date picker, checkbox, building block gallery, and repeating section. Properties set title, tag, and locking (content cannot be edited/deleted). Design Mode edits the placeholder text.
  • Fields are dynamic. Insert via Insert > Quick Parts > Field; toggle codes with Alt+F9; update with F9; lock with Ctrl+F11. DocProperty displays custom metadata; STYLEREF and REF display style/reference text.
  • Captions feed Table of Figures and cross-references. Cross-references can point to headings, bookmarks, footnotes, captions, and numbered items. TOC builds from heading styles or TC fields; update page numbers only or entire table.
  • Citations use the Source Manager; the bibliography is a field and can be updated.

Worked example

A proposal needs a reusable Client Name control that users can fill but not delete, and the name must appear in a custom document property. Reasoning: insert a plain-text content control, set its title/tag, enable Content control cannot be deleted; create the custom property in Advanced Properties; insert a DocProperty field where the value must display. Content controls do not automatically write to custom properties without XML mapping or code, so the exam task needs both elements.

Traps

Building blocks save to Normal.dotm by default unless a different template is chosen. Content controls are not legacy form fields; legacy fields need form protection. Fields in headers may not update automatically. Typing caption numbers breaks cross-references; use SEQ fields. A TOC must be updated after edits.