For the first time ever, Microsoft is holding a leg of the Excel World Championship in Malaysia. This competition, which is open to the public, aims to bring out the best of Excel users in Malaysia – and offers the champion the chance to pit their skills against other Excel masters in the World Championships.

Malaysia is one of only a few Asian countries selected in the global legs; the other Asian legs are in China, Japan, and the Philippines.

Naturally, the competition is based on Excel, with questions that focus on three areas: data management (Data Relays), data visualisation (Chart Gymnastics), and formula writing (Formula Wrestling). Each round, contestants are required to download the challenges and submit their responses in the shortest time frame possible.

The competition kicks off with trial rounds, targeted at students, consultants, and working professionals, from 3-7 October 2016, before progressing to the quarter finals. Excel enthusiasts can enter the competition from the quarter-final stage, should they miss the trials.

The top three participants will be invited to Microsoft’s KL office for the final on 18 November 2016, where all three will walk away with a prize: the winner receives a new Surface Pro 4, while the second and third prize is a Surface Pro 3 and Lumia 650 smartphone, respectively.

Plus, the winner will also take part in the Excel World Championships 2017 for the grand prize: an all-expense paid trip to Microsoft’s Redmond HQ in Seattle, Washington, to visit the Excel product designers to provide feedback on the upcoming features added to Excel.

Interested Malaysians can register for the competition via this link, where more details will be provided.