MS PowerPoint

MS PowerPoint is a program that is included in the Microsoft Office suite. It is used to

make presentations for personal and professional purposes.

In this article, we shall discuss in detail the functions and features of a PowerPoint
presentation, followed by some sample questions based on this topic for the upcoming
competitive exams.

To learn more about the different programs under Microsoft Office, visit the linked
article.

Given below are a few important things that one must know about the development and
introduction of Microsoft PowerPoint:

 The program was created in a software company named Forethought, Inc. by Robert
Gaskins and Dennis Austin.
 It was released on April 20, 1987, and after 3 months of its creation, it was acquired by
Microsoft.
 The first version of this program, when introduced by Microsoft was MS PowerPoint 2.0
(1990).
 It is a presentation-based program that uses graphics, videos, etc. to make a presentation
more interactive and interesting.
 The file extension of a saved Powerpoint presentation is “.ppt”.
 A PowerPoint presentation comprising slides and other features is also known as PPT.

Gradually, with each version, the program was more creative and more interactive.
Various other features were added in PowerPoint which massively increased the
requirement and use of this MS Office program.

From the examination point of view, MS PowerPoint happens to be a very important

topic. Candidates who are preparing for the various Government exams can visit
the Computer Knowledge page and get a list of topics included in the syllabus and
prepare themselves accordingly.

Basics of MS PowerPoint
Discussed below are a few questions that one must be aware of while discussing the
basics of MS PowerPoint. Once this is understood, using the program and analysing
how to use it more creatively shall become easier.

Question: What is MS PowerPoint?

Answer: PowerPoint (PPT) is a powerful, easy-to-use presentation graphics

software program that allows you to create professional-looking electronic slide shows.

The image given below shows the main page of MS PowerPoint, where a person lands
when the program is opened on a computer system:

Question: How to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer?

Answer: Follow the steps below to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer:

1. Click on the start button

2. Then choose “All Programs”
3. Next step is to select “MS Office”
4. Under MS Office, click on the “MS PowerPoint”

A blank presentation is open on the screen. According to the requirement, a person can
modify the template for a presentation and start using the program.
Question: What is a PowerPoint presentation or PPT?

Answer: A combination of various slides depicting a graphical and visual interpretation

of data, to present information in a more creative and interactive manner is called a
PowerPoint presentation or PPT.

Question: What is a slide show in a PowerPoint presentation?

Answer: When all the slides of a PowerPoint presentation are set in series and then
presented to a group of people, where each slide appears one after the other, is a set
pattern, this is known as a PowerPoint slide show.

Question: What all elements can be added to a slide?

Answer: The following elements can be added to a Powerpoint slide:

1. Clip Art
2. Graphs
3. Tables
4. Photographs
5. Charts
6. Media Clips
7. Videos

All these elements are mainly used to enhance presentation skills and make the slide
more interactive.

To learn more about the Fundamentals of Computer, visit the linked article.

For a better understanding of the Microsoft PowerPoint and its operations, functions and
usage, refer to the video given below:

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Features of MS PowerPoint
There are multiple features that are available in MS PowerPoint which can customise
and optimize a presentation. The same have been discussed below.

 Slide Layout
Multiple options and layouts are available based on which a presentation can be
created. This option is available under the “Home” section and one can select from the
multiple layout options provided.

The image below shows the different slide layout options which are available for use:

 Insert – Clipart, Video, Audio, etc.

Under the “Insert” category, multiple options are available where one can choose what
feature they want to insert in their presentation. This may include images, audio, video,
header, footer, symbols, shapes, etc.

The image below shows the features which can be inserted:

  Slide Design

MS PowerPoint has various themes using which background colour and designs or
textures can be added to a slide. This makes the presentation more colourful and
attracts the attention of the people looking at it.

This feature can be added using the “Design” category mentioned on the homepage of
MS PowerPoint. Although there are existing design templates available, in case
someone wants to add some new texture or colour, the option to customise the design
is also available. Apart from this, slide designs can also be downloaded online.

Refer to the below for slide design:

  Animations

During the slide show, the slides appear on the screen one after the other. In case, one
wants to add some animations to the way in which a slide presents itself, they can refer
to the “Animations” category.

The different animation styles available on PowerPoint are:

Apart from all these options; font size, font style, font colour, word art, date and time,
etc. can also be added to a PPT.
Also, there are various other subjects that are included in the exam syllabus for various
competitive exams. Candidates can check the detailed section-wise syllabus in the links
given below:

Uses of PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are useful for both personal and professional usage. Given
below are a few of the major fields where PPT is extremely useful:

 Education – With e-learning and smart classes being chosen as a common mode of
education today, PowerPoint presentations can help in making education more interactive
and attract students towards the modified version of studying

 Marketing – In the field of marketing, PowerPoint presentations can be extremely important.

Using graphs and charts, numbers can be shown more evidently and clearly which may be
ignored by the viewer if being read

 Business – To invite investors or to show the increase or decrease in profits, MS

PowerPoint can be used

 Creating Resumes – Digital resumes can be formed using MS PowerPoint. Different

patterns, photograph, etc. can be added to the resume
 Depicting Growth – Since both graphics and text can be added in a presentation, depicting
the growth of a company, business, student’s marks, etc. is easier using PPT

Government exam aspirants can upgrade their preparation with the help of the links
given below:

Sample MS PowerPoint Questions and Answers

As discussed earlier in this article, Computer Awareness is included in the syllabus for
many competitive exams. Thus, to understand the program from the examination point
of view is also a must.

Given below are a few sample questions based on MS PowerPoint.

Q 1. How many maximum slides can be added to a PowerPoint presentation?

1. 50
2. 500
3. No fixed number
4. 25
 5. 300

Answer: (3) No fixed number

Q 2. Slide Sorter view can be selected under which of the following categories?

1. Home
2. File
3. Edit
4. View
5. Review

Answer: (4) View

Q 3. The combination of which keyboard keys can be used as a shortcut to add a new
slide in MS PowerPoint?

1. ctrl+S
2. ctrl+L
3. ctrl+M
4. ctrl+N
5. ctrl+P

Answer: (3) ctrl+M

Q 4. Header and Footer option is available under which of the following categories?

1. Insert
2. Design
3. Review
4. View
5. Home

Answer: (1) Insert

Q 5. Which of the following is not included in the “Insert” category in MS PowerPoint?

1. Shapes
2. Table
3. Equation
4. Animation
5. Video

Answer: (4) Animation