Microsoft Office Specialist: PowerPoint Associate (Office 2019) — Practice Set 1

Question 1

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to open an existing presentation and save it as a different file name so the original is not overwritten. Which command should you use?

Accepted Answer

File > Save As (F12) opens a dialog that lets you specify a new file name and location, creating a copy of the presentation while leaving the original unchanged. File > Save (Ctrl+S) saves over the existing file. Export > Create PDF/XPS creates a PDF, not a renamed PowerPoint copy. File > Info > Properties shows document properties, not a save dialog.

Question 2

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You are preparing to deliver a presentation and want to rehearse the timing of each slide. After rehearsing, you want the timings to be saved and used to advance slides automatically during the real presentation. Which feature should you use?

Accepted Answer

Slide Show > Rehearse Timings starts the presentation with a recording timer, allowing you to advance slides as you would during the real presentation. When finished, PowerPoint asks if you want to save the timings — accepting stores how long each slide was displayed. These timings can then be used to advance slides automatically. Record Slide Show (A) captures both narration audio and timings. Manual timing on the Transitions tab (C) works but requires estimating times rather than recording natural delivery. Slide Sorter (D) is for arranging slides, not timing them.

Question 3

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to check whether the presentation can be opened correctly by users with older versions of PowerPoint (2010). Which feature identifies compatibility issues?

Accepted Answer

Check Compatibility (File > Info > Check for Issues > Check Compatibility) scans the presentation for features not supported in earlier versions of PowerPoint, listing each issue and how many times it appears. You can then decide to simplify those elements. Inspect Document (B) scans for hidden metadata and personal information, not feature compatibility. Changing file type to .ppt format (C) converts the file but may silently convert or remove unsupported features without showing a summary. Spelling & Grammar (D) checks text, not compatibility.

Question 4

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to deliver a presentation without an internet connection. The presentation contains linked Excel charts that update from an external file, and embedded audio clips. Which TWO steps ensure the presentation works correctly offline? Choose 2.

Accepted Answer

Breaking the Excel links (B) (Edit > Links > Break Link on the chart, or right-click the chart > Edit Data > break link) embeds the data so it is self-contained and does not depend on the external Excel file. Package Presentation for CD (C) (File > Export > Package Presentation for CD) bundles the presentation and all its linked media into one folder, ensuring all linked files travel together. Copying the Excel file (A) helps with linked charts but relies on the path remaining the same. Deleting and re-recording audio (D) is impractical. AutoSave (E) syncs to the cloud, not useful for offline delivery.

Question 5

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to set the language for spell checking in the presentation to French (France). How do you change the proofing language?

Accepted Answer

Review > Language > Set Proofing Language opens a dialog where you can select the language for spell checking and grammar. Setting it to French (France) applies the French dictionary to the selected text (or all text if nothing is selected). File > Options > Language (A) configures the editing language for new content and the Office interface, but Review > Language is more direct for changing the proofing language of existing text. There is no font language dropdown in the Home tab (C). Auto-detection (D) may work for clearly different languages but is not a reliable method for setting a specific proofing language.

Question 6

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to duplicate slide 5 so that you have an identical copy as slide 6 with all content and formatting preserved. What is the fastest method?

Accepted Answer

Right-clicking a slide in the Slide Panel and choosing 'Duplicate Slide' creates an exact copy immediately after the selected slide, preserving all content, layout, animations, and transitions. Copying and pasting (B) also works but places the copy at the clipboard's destination. Inserting a new slide and re-entering content (C) is time-consuming. Exporting as an image (D) produces a static image without editable text or objects.

Question 7

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to change the layout of slide 8 from 'Title Slide' to 'Title and Content' without deleting and reinserting the slide. How do you change the slide layout?

Accepted Answer

The Layout dropdown on the Home tab (Slides group) shows the available slide layouts for the current theme. Selecting 'Title and Content' changes the current slide's layout while preserving existing content, remapping it to the appropriate placeholders. The Design tab's Themes (B) changes the visual theme for all slides, not an individual slide's layout. Insert > New Slide (C) inserts a new slide rather than changing the layout of the existing one. Right-click on the slide canvas (D) offers paste and background options, not a layout change dialog.

Question 8

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You are building a product launch presentation. You want to insert 10 specific slides from an existing marketing presentation file without opening that file separately, and you want the inserted slides to match your current presentation's theme. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Home > New Slide > Reuse Slides opens the Reuse Slides pane where you can browse to another .pptx file and click individual slides to insert them. Leaving 'Keep source formatting' unchecked allows the inserted slides to adopt your current presentation's theme. Option A works but requires opening both files simultaneously. Embedding as an object (C) places the entire file as a clickable embedded object on one slide, not as individual slides. Images (D) are static and not editable.

Question 9

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to add a consistent running date that automatically updates to the current date on every slide footer. How should you insert a date that updates automatically?

Accepted Answer

Insert > Header & Footer provides a dialog with a 'Date and time' option including 'Update automatically', which inserts a dynamic date field that shows the current date whenever the presentation is opened. Clicking 'Apply to All' applies it to every slide's footer area. Manually typing the date (A) creates a static text that must be updated manually. Insert > Date & Time on individual slides (C) would require visiting each slide separately. A macro (D) is unnecessary when the built-in feature handles this.

Question 10

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to change the Handout Master so that printed handouts show the company logo in the top-right corner of every handout page. How do you access and modify the Handout Master?

Accepted Answer

View > Handout Master opens the handout master view, which controls the layout of all printed handout pages. You can insert images, text boxes, and other elements here — placing the logo in the top-right corner causes it to appear on every printed handout page. Design > Slide Size (B) controls the slide canvas dimensions, not handout layout. Insert > Header & Footer (C) allows text in header/footer positions but not image placement. File > Print (D) has no handout editing capability.

Question 11

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to insert a text box on a blank slide and position it exactly 5 cm from the left edge and 3 cm from the top of the slide. How do you set the exact position?

Accepted Answer

The Size & Properties dialog (Shape Format > Size > click the dialog launcher, or right-click > Format Shape > Size & Properties) provides exact Position fields for Horizontal and Vertical position. Entering 5 cm horizontal and 3 cm vertical places the text box precisely. Dragging by eye (A) lacks precision. The ruler (C) helps estimate positions but snapping depends on gridline intervals. Gridlines (D) snap to grid intervals which may not align exactly with 5 cm and 3 cm values.

Question 12

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You have a slide with a title placeholder containing the text 'Annual Report'. You need to apply WordArt styling to this text, including a gradient fill and a reflection effect. How do you apply these effects to the existing title text?

Accepted Answer

In PowerPoint 2019, you can apply WordArt-style formatting directly to text in any placeholder. Selecting the text and using the Shape Format (or Drawing Tools Format) tab's WordArt Styles group — Text Fill > Gradient for gradient fill, and Text Effects > Reflection for the reflection — applies the effects in place without replacing the placeholder. Deleting and reinserting as WordArt (A) works but loses the placeholder's position and integration with the slide layout. Fonts (C) are typeface choices, not gradient effects. Design > Variants (D) controls theme-wide accent color sets, not individual text styling.

Question 13

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You have inserted an image that is larger than the slide. You need to crop the image to show only the central 60% of it. What is the correct method to crop the image?

Accepted Answer

The Crop tool (Picture Format > Crop) activates crop mode where black crop handles appear on the image edges. Dragging these handles inward trims the image, hiding the unwanted portions while keeping the original image data intact (you can uncrop later). Dragging corner handles (B) resizes the entire image rather than cropping — it changes scale, not visible area. Remove Background (C) removes a background color region, not the outer edges. There is no 'Resize Image to 60%' context menu option (D).

Question 14

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to create a diagram using shapes that shows three overlapping circles where each overlap area is a different color. Which TWO features help you build and style this diagram efficiently? Choose 2.

Accepted Answer

SmartArt Venn (A) (Insert > SmartArt > Relationship > Basic Venn) automatically creates an overlapping three-circle diagram with consistent styling — the fastest approach. Alternatively, inserting three ovals with semi-transparent fills (B) and using Arrange to layer them creates a custom Venn diagram where you can control each overlap color independently. Bubble Charts (C) visualize data points sized by a third variable, not overlapping circle diagrams. Format Painter (D) copies formatting but does not create new shapes. Themes (E) provide color schemes and backgrounds, not specific diagram shapes.

Question 15

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). A slide has a photograph of a building with a bright blue sky background. You need to replace the sky color with a transparent fill so the slide's background shows through without affecting the building. What is the most appropriate tool?

Accepted Answer

Remove Background (Picture Format > Remove Background) uses intelligent detection to identify the background area (sky) and allows you to refine the selection with 'Mark Areas to Keep' (building) and 'Mark Areas to Remove' (sky) brushes, then removes the marked background to transparency. Set Transparent Color (B) only removes a single flat color value — it works for simple flat backgrounds but fails for photographs where the sky has gradient variations. Artistic Effects > Blur (C) softens the image without removing pixels. Brightness correction (D) lightens the image globally, not selectively.

Question 16

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). A user has created a slide with six shapes arranged in a grid pattern. The user needs to distribute them so there is equal horizontal spacing between all shapes. What is the most efficient method?

Accepted Answer

Selecting all six shapes and using Shape Format > Arrange > Align > Distribute Horizontally automatically redistributes the shapes so the spacing between their edges (or centers) is equal across the horizontal axis. This is the most efficient and precise method. Manual calculation (B) is error-prone and time-consuming. Snap to Grid (C) helps during dragging but requires eyeballing equal spacing. Animation paths (D) are for motion effects, not static positioning.

Question 17

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to format a table on a slide so that alternating rows have different background colors for better readability. What is the quickest way to achieve this?

Accepted Answer

The Table Design tab (visible when a table is selected) offers a gallery of table styles, many of which include 'banded rows' (alternating row colors). Clicking one applies the full style — colors, borders, and banding — instantly. Manual row coloring (B) works but requires selecting and formatting each alternating row. Converting to image (C) creates a non-editable static picture. Inserting as Excel (D) embeds an Excel workbook, which is overly complex for a simple table formatting task.

Question 18

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to add a trendline to a bar chart on the slide to show the general direction of the data over time. How do you add the trendline?

Accepted Answer

When a chart is selected in PowerPoint 2019, a Chart Elements button (+) appears to the top-right of the chart. Clicking it reveals a checklist of elements including Trendline. Checking 'Trendline' and selecting the type (Linear, Exponential, etc.) adds it to the chart. Right-clicking 'Format Chart Area' (B) opens formatting for the chart container, not chart elements. Transitions (C) are for slide-to-slide effects, not chart elements. There is no 'Insert Chart Element' button on the Home tab (D).

Question 19

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to convert an existing bulleted list on a slide into a SmartArt graphic to make it more visually appealing. What is the quickest way to do this?

Accepted Answer

Right-clicking a text placeholder with a bulleted list reveals the 'Convert to SmartArt' option, which opens a SmartArt gallery. Selecting a layout instantly converts the existing bullets into SmartArt nodes, preserving the text. This is the most direct method. Deleting and retyping (A) is destructive and time-consuming. Inserting SmartArt from the Insert tab (C) creates an empty SmartArt that you must populate manually. There is no 'Change List Style' button on the Home tab (D).

Question 20

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). A slide contains a 3D model of a car. You need to position the model so that only the front view of the car is visible, and the model should appear larger within its frame without increasing the placeholder size. Which tool should you use?

Accepted Answer

For 3D models in PowerPoint 2019, the 3D rotation handle (central 3D icon) rotates the model on all axes — drag to orient the car to face front. The 3D Model tab > Pan & Zoom (or use the zoom slider in Pan & Zoom mode) allows you to zoom the camera in on the model within the fixed placeholder frame, making it appear larger without resizing the placeholder. Increasing the placeholder size (B) makes the frame bigger, not the apparent zoom level. Stretching with corner handles (C) resizes the entire placeholder. Replacing with a photo (D) loses the 3D interactivity.

Question 21

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You have inserted a video on a slide. You need to trim the video so only the middle 30 seconds plays, and you also need to add a poster frame (preview image) that shows while the video is paused. Which TWO settings achieve these goals? Choose 2.

Accepted Answer

Trim Video (A) (Video Tools Playback > Trim Video) lets you set start and end times precisely, limiting playback to the 30-second segment. The original video file is not altered — only the playback range is adjusted. Setting a Poster Frame (B) (Video Tools Format > Poster Frame > Current Frame) captures the current paused frame as the thumbnail displayed when the video is not playing. Deleting the video (C) removes interactivity. Transition duration (D) controls slide timing, not video playback length. Right-click 'Edit Trim' (E) is not a standard PowerPoint context menu option; trimming is done via the Playback tab.

Question 22

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You need to add a Push transition to slide 3 so that it appears to push slide 2 off the screen when advancing. Where do you apply the transition?

Accepted Answer

Transitions are applied to the destination slide — the slide that is being transitioned to. To have the Push transition occur when advancing from slide 2 to slide 3, you apply it to slide 3. When slide show reaches slide 3, the Push transition plays. Applying to slide 2 (A) would control the transition into slide 2, not away from it. Selecting both slides (C) would apply Push to both, changing the entry effect for both slides. Push is a Transition, not an Animation (D).

Question 23

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You have added a 'Zoom' entrance animation to an image. You want the animation to repeat three times before stopping. Where do you configure the repeat count?

Accepted Answer

Animation repeat settings are found in the animation's Effect Options dialog. Right-clicking the animation entry in the Animation Pane and choosing 'Effect Options' opens a dialog with an 'Effect' tab and a 'Timing' tab. The Timing tab has a 'Repeat' dropdown where you can enter 3 (or select '3' from the list) to repeat the Zoom animation three times. The Duration field on the Animations tab (B) controls how long one cycle of the animation takes, not how many times it repeats. Transitions (C) control slide-to-slide effects. The right-click context menu on the image (D) does not offer a repeat animation option.

Question 24

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). A slide contains a title that should appear immediately when the slide is shown, then three bullet points that each appear 2 seconds after the previous one, with no clicks required. How should the animations be configured?

Accepted Answer

For the title to appear automatically when the slide is shown without a click, it should use 'With Previous' (or 'After Previous' if it's the first animation, since there is nothing previous — 'With Previous' on the first animation behaves as automatic). Each subsequent bullet point should start 'After Previous' with a 2-second delay, creating a 2-second gap between each appearance — all automatically without clicks. Option A requires a click for the title. Option C requires clicks for the bullets. Option D uses 'With Previous' for bullets, which would start all bullets at the same time as each other, not staggered.

Question 25

You are working in Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2019). You have created a presentation with complex animations and need to test how the transitions and animations will look during the actual presentation without starting the full screen slide show. Which TWO methods allow you to preview transitions and animations? Choose 2.

Accepted Answer

The Preview button on the Transitions tab (A) plays the transition effect for the currently selected slide in Normal view without launching the full slide show. The Preview button on the Animations tab (B) plays all the animations on the current slide within Normal view, showing the full animation sequence. Reading View (C) shows the slide in a window view but launches the full animation/transition sequence requiring navigation. F5 (D) starts from slide 1, requiring navigation to reach the current slide. Shift+F5 (E) starts from the current slide in full screen, which works but is a full slide show, not a quick in-editor preview.

MO-300 — Microsoft Office Specialist: PowerPoint Associate (Office 2019)