Presentations
Cambridge IGCSE ICT
A presentation is a visual communication tool made of slides that you create from content, edit to match your audience, and output in different ways depending on how it will be used.
Chapter at a Glance
Create
Import content from files, build master slides to control design
Edit
Add objects, interactivity, notes, and effects for your audience
Output
Display on-screen or print in different formats for different purposes
1. Create a Presentation & Master Slides
What Does It Mean to Create a Presentation?
When you create a presentation, you're building a set of slides that hold information. In the exam, you're usually given content in a rich text format (.rtf) file — basically a text document — and your job is to turn that into slides with a professional look.
How to Import Content from a Text File
The exam doesn't expect you to type everything manually. Instead, there's a shortcut:
- Open your presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint)
- Go to the Home tab
- Click the "New Slide" button and select "Slides from Outline"
- Choose the .rtf file you've been given
- The software automatically creates slides with the text from that file
💡 Time-Saver: In an exam, always use "Slides from Outline" instead of typing manually. It's faster, more accurate, and examiners expect you to know this shortcut.
Understanding Master Slides (The Game-Changer)
Imagine you have 20 slides and you want them all to have the same colour scheme, font, and layout. Would you change each one individually? That would take forever. That's where a master slide comes in.
Master Slide:
A template that controls the design and layout of an entire presentation from one central place. Any change you make to the master slide automatically applies to all slides using that layout.
What does a master slide control?
- Colours — background colour, text colours, accents
- Fonts — which typefaces and sizes are used for headings and body text
- Headers & Footers — information that appears at the top or bottom of every slide
- Positioning of objects — where logos, page numbers, or other elements sit
📌 Why This Matters: Using master slides keeps your presentation consistent. In exams, examiners check that all your slides look professionally designed. Master slides are the shortcut to that.
How to Edit a Master Slide
- Go to the View tab (in PowerPoint)
- Click "Slide Master" to enter master slide mode
- Scroll to the top and select the first (largest) slide in the master list
- Make your changes (colours, fonts, add objects, etc.)
- When done, click "Close Master View" or switch back to Normal view
⚠️ Examiner Trap: If you don't scroll to the top of the master slide list and select the first slide, you'll only change a sub-layout, not the whole presentation. Always scroll to the very top.
⚠️ Changes Not Showing? If you close the master slide and your formatting changes aren't visible:
- Highlight the text on the regular slide
- Look for the "Clear All Formatting" button (usually in Home tab)
- Click it — this removes any manual formatting that's overriding the master slide
Adding Auto Slide Numbering
master slide