IGCSE ICT: Presentations — Practice Questions

These questions cover Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 Topic 19: creating a presentation from a text file, using a master slide, editing a presentation and outputting it. Presentations are assessed practically in Paper 2, so Section C sets practical-style tasks with examiner-style checklists alongside the theory questions.

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — Cambridge International holds copyright in its own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available through your school or Cambridge directly.

Related: Presentations revision notes · Presentations study guide

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Section A: short answers

1. State what is meant by a master slide. [1]

2. Name two ways a presentation can be printed. [2]

3. State the purpose of presenter notes. [1]

4. Give two objects, other than text and images, that can be inserted onto a slide. [2]

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Section B: structured questions

5. A college creates a 20-slide presentation for open day. Every slide must show the college logo in the top right corner and a slide number in the bottom right corner.

(a) Explain why the logo should be placed on the master slide. [2] (b) Explain why automated slide numbering should be used. [2] (c) The college wants the presentation to run on a screen in the entrance hall all day. Describe how it should be set up. [3]

6. A teacher uses a presentation in lessons.

(a) Describe how an action button can be used to return to the menu slide. [2] (b) One slide has a hyperlink that should open a worksheet file. State two other destinations a hyperlink can link to. [2] (c) The teacher has a slide with answers that she does not want students to see this lesson. State what she should do and why. [2]

7. A student applies a different transition to every slide and makes each bullet point fly in from a different direction.

(a) Explain why this is not good practice. [2] (b) State the difference between a transition and an animation. [2]

8. Explain why alternative text should be added to images in a presentation. [2]

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Section C: practical-style tasks

9. Create a new presentation from a text file containing four headings, each followed by two indented lines. Check the result. [3]

10. On the master slide, set the background to pale blue, headings to a sans-serif font, 36 point, dark blue, and bullets to square. Place a logo image in the top left corner and automated slide numbers centred in the footer. [6]

11. Add presenter notes to slide 2. Hide slide 4. Apply the same fade transition to all slides. Print the presentation as handouts with 4 slides per page. [4]

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Worked answers

1. A slide that controls the design, formatting and objects that appear on all slides (or all slides of a layout). [1]

2. Any two of: full-page slides; presenter notes; handouts. [2]

3. To give the speaker notes or reminders about what to say for each slide, which the audience does not see. [1]

4. Any two of: video clips, animated images, charts, tables, audio clips, symbols, lines, arrows, callout boxes, shapes. [2]

5. (a) The logo then appears on every slide in exactly the same position (1); it only has to be inserted once, saving time and making it easy to change later (1). [2] (b) The numbers update automatically if slides are added, moved or deleted (1), so they are always correct and do not need to be typed on each slide (1). [2] (c) Set automatic slide timings (for example several seconds per slide) (1); set the show to loop continuously until Esc is pressed (1); run it as an on-screen carousel with no presenter/no need for clicks (1). [3]

6. (a) Insert an action button on the slide (1) and change its setting to go to the menu slide (a specified slide) when clicked (1). [2] (b) Another slide in the presentation (1); an email address (1). [2] (c) Hide the slide (1); it is skipped during the slide show but stays in the file for use in a later lesson (1). [2]

7. (a) Too many different effects distract the audience from the content (1) and make the presentation look unprofessional and inconsistent (1). [2] (b) A transition is the effect when moving from one slide to the next (1); an animation is an effect applied to an object, such as text or an image, within a slide (1). [2]

8. Screen-reader software can read the description to visually impaired users (1); the text can appear as a screentip, describing the image if it does not load or to explain it (1). [2]

9. 1 mark each: four slides created with the headings as slide titles; the indented lines appear as bullets on the correct slides; no blank or extra slides. [3]

10. 1 mark each: pale blue background on all slides; heading font sans-serif; 36 point dark blue; square bullets; logo top left on every slide; automated slide numbers centred in the footer. [6]

11. 1 mark each: presenter notes on slide 2; slide 4 hidden (not deleted); same fade transition on every slide; handouts printed with 4 slides per page. [4]

Frequently asked questions

How do I show evidence of master slide work? Take a screenshot of the master slide view as well as printing the slides, so the examiner can see the formatting was applied on the master.

Which paper assesses presentations? Paper 2 (Document Production, Databases and Presentations), a practical test of 2 hours 15 minutes worth 70 marks.

Official syllabus

Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Information and Communication Technology (0417) syllabus for 2026, 2027 and 2028, Version 3, Topic 19 “Presentations” and section 4, Paper 2.