MO-310 study guide

MO-310 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The Microsoft Office Specialist: PowerPoint Associate (Microsoft 365 Apps) credential is an entry-to-intermediate certification that verifies you can use PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps) productively in a business setting. Microsoft rates it at Intermediate level for a Business User role, and expects candidates to bring roughly 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience with the application. It is aimed at people preparing to enter the job market who need to prove industry associate-level competency with the program, or at professionals who build decks such as sales presentations, employee training, instructional materials, and kiosk slideshows. The exam is proctored, lasts 50 minutes, and may include interactive components in addition to other item types, so you should be comfortable performing tasks in the application rather than only recalling terminology. The MO-310 study guide has 5 sections and about 1,872 words.

Manage presentations

Managing a presentation is about deck-level settings, not individual slides. Know the three masters - Slide Master, Handout Master, Notes Master - and what each controls.

389 words, about 2 min 02

Manage slides

This domain rewards knowing the difference between changing content and restoring structure . New slides (Ctrl+M) inherit the layout of the currently selected slide, not the first slide.

376 words, about 2 min 03

Insert and format text, shapes, and images

Know the difference between a placeholder (inherits master formatting) and a text box (free-floating, takes theme fonts but not the layout). Text controls include Autofit - Shrink text on overflow versus Resize shape to fit text - plus character spacing, line spacing, bullet level and numbering.

360 words, about 2 min 04

Insert tables, charts, SmartArt, 3D models, and media

Tables: insert from the grid or Insert Table dialog, then use Table Design options - Header Row, Banded Rows, First Column, Total Row - plus Merge/Split Cells and Distribute Rows/Columns. Remember that manual cell formatting overrides the table style.

368 words, about 2 min 05

Apply transitions and animations

Transitions apply between slides; animations apply to objects on a slide. On the Transitions tab know Effect Options, Duration, Sound, Advance Slide (On Mouse Click vs After a set time) and Apply To All - which copies the current transition and its settings to every slide.

379 words, about 2 min