Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced
PowerPoint Training Series | Level 2
Course Details
Duration: 2 days (9 am – 4 pm)
Microsoft® PowerPoint® Versions: 2016 | 2019 | 2021 | 365 (Windows)
Delivery Methods (Instructor-led): In-person (Live classroom) | Online in virtual classroom
Course Dates: July 21/22, 2025 (Online in virtual classroom or In-person) | August 7/8, 2025 (Online in virtual classroom or In-person) | View schedule 
Course Fee: $495 CAD per person (Virtual classroom), $545 CAD per person (Bring your own device for live classroom courses) or $595 CAD per person + HST (Avantix Learning provides device for live classroom courses)*
Timing: Public scheduled courses run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (Eastern Time).
Virtual classroom courses: Our instructor-led virtual classroom courses are delivered in a virtual classroom environment. Students will be sent a virtual classroom invitation prior to the course.
In-person classroom courses: Our instructor-led, live classroom (in-person) courses are held in downtown Toronto at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Some courses are also held at an alternate downtown Toronto location.
Custom training: This course may be delivered at your site or ours as an instructor-led in-person or virtual classroom solution. Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca for more information including savings for custom group training.
Some public courses and / or formats and may be subject to a minimum enrollment requirement.
Course Overview
In this instructor-led Intermediate / Advanced PowerPoint course, students will learn best practices to create professional PowerPoint presentations using outlines, built-in and custom themes, custom masters and layouts, templates, images, drawing objects, videos and sounds. SmartArt, tables and charts will also be inserted on slides and formatted in various ways. In order to create more engaging presentations, students will learn to add animations and transitions and to run slide shows using different techniques. Hyperlinks will also be used to add interactivity and bring presentations to the next level. During this hands-on course, students will practice their skills and are encouraged to ask questions. Each student will also receive a full course manual with tips, tricks and shortcuts as well as sample and exercise files.
Prerequisite: Microsoft PowerPoint: Introduction or equivalent knowledge and skills.
Location and timing: Public scheduled courses are held online in virtual classroom format or in downtown Toronto and run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (Eastern Time).
Related training: View all Microsoft PowerPoint courses >
INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE
- Comprehensive course manual
- Keyboard shortcuts quick reference
- Sample and exercise files (new samples added frequently)
- Refreshments (for classes conducted in Avantix Learning classrooms)
- Certificate of completion
- Follow-up email support
Course Topics
Key PowerPoint Concepts
- Understanding PowerPoint's different views
- PowerPoint best practices
- Rearranging a presentation in different ways
- Creating slides using different layouts
- Working efficiently with outlines
- Reapplying layouts
- Navigating and selecting using keyboard shortcuts
Customizing PowerPoint
- Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar and adding custom buttons
- Recommended buttons
- Setting key PowerPoint options
Working with Themes
- Understanding theme components
- Applying themes to presentations
- Using font, color, effect and overall themes
- Understanding the difference between themes and templates
- Importing a theme from another presentation or template
- Creating and saving custom font, color or overall themes
Creating and Editing Slide Masters and Layouts
- Editing the slide master and layouts in the Slide Master View
- Changing slide master or layout backgrounds
- Adding footers, dates, slide numbers and logos on the slide master or layouts
- Creating custom slide layouts in the Slide Master View
- Preserving the slide master (and why to preserve)
- Importing masters from other presentations or templates
- Avoiding rogue layouts
Importing Slides and Microsoft Word Content
- Importing slides from other PowerPoint presentations in different ways
- Benefits of reusing vs copying slides
- Importing an outline from Microsoft Word and creating presentations automatically
- Dealing with formatting issues when importing from Microsoft Word
Inserting and Adjusting Images
- Inserting images in different ways
- Resizing images proportionally
- Nudging images using keyboard shortcuts
- Adjusting picture brightness and contrast
- Applying a different color to a picture
- Blurring images
- Removing backgrounds from images in different ways
- Combining effects to focus attention
- Making an image transparent
- Reducing file size by compressing images
Cropping Images
- Cropping images and controlling image placement within the cropped area
- Cropping images to a circle or other shape
- Using aspect ratio when cropping images
- Permanently deleting cropped areas
Key Concepts when Working with Images and Other Objects
- Stacking objects (bring to front, bring forward, send to back or send backward)
- Grouping and ungrouping objects
- Merging shapes vs grouping
- Aligning and distributing objects
- Locking objects (available in specific versions of PowerPoint)
- Using built-in keyboard shortcuts as well as other tools and shortcuts to work with objects
Animating Images and Text
- Adding 4 types of animations – entrance, exit, emphasis and motion paths
- Animating images and text as well as recommended animations
- Controlling the speed of animations and setting effect options
- Applying multiple animations to an image or object
- Using the Animation Pane to finetune animations
- Copying animations quickly and easily
- Removing animations
Displaying Information in Tables
- Inserting and formatting tables
- Inserting and deleting rows and columns
- Resizing rows and columns
- Applying table styles and other formatting
- Importing Excel worksheets into a slide as a table or an object
Importing Excel Data
- Importing Excel data (linked or unlinked)
- Managing links
Creating Shapes, SmartArt and WordArt
- Drawing, resizing and formatting shapes in PowerPoint
- Duplicating shapes using shortcuts
- Using shortcuts to copy formatting to one or more shapes
- Inserting SmartArt to create cycle diagrams, Venn diagrams, organization charts and other types of diagrams
- Formatting SmartArt objects
- Creating text effects with WordArt
- BONUS EXTRAS: Applying a spotlight and other tricks to focus on part of an image or slide area by combining drawing objects and animations
Visualizing Data using Charts
- Inserting a chart on a PowerPoint slide
- Changing chart type
- Editing a chart's datasheet and returning to PowerPoint
- Understanding color in charts
- Applying different formats to chart elements
- Using tips and tricks when working with charts
- Reusing chart formatting
Animating Shapes, Charts and SmartArt
- Adding entrance, exit and emphasis animation effects to shapes, charts and SmartArt
- Controlling the speed of animations and setting effect options
- Using the Animation Pane
- Recommendations for animating charts and SmartArt
Inserting, Formatting and Managing Audio and Video
- Inserting video and audio / sound into presentations
- Controlling playback settings of video and audio
- Embedding vs linking videos and audio
- Trimming video and audio files
- Changing the brightness, contrast and color of videos
- Selecting a starting frame for a video
- Adding and removing bookmarks in video and audio objects
- Playing videos and sounds from a bookmarked location
- BONUS EXTRA: Inserting text to appear at specific times over videos during a slide show
Creating Interactive Presentations Using Hyperlinks
- Inserting hyperlinks to other slides, presentations, web sites or other files such as an Excel worksheet
- Using different types of hyperlinks
- Editing and formatting hyperlinks
- Adding hyperlinks on masters and layouts
- Creating a main menu slide with hyperlinks
Running Slide Shows Efficiently
- Running slide shows and using tips and tricks to control the show
- Jumping to a specific slide during a slide show
- Applying transition effects that appear during a slide show
- Controlling timing
Running Custom Shows
- Creating different custom shows for multiple audiences
- Running a custom show using different strategies
- Updating shows
*Prices subject to change
Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.
Copyright 2025 Avantix® Learning
Custom training (Onsite or Online in Virtual Classroom)
Register now for a public course or contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca for more information about any of our courses or to discuss custom training options (virtual classroom or in-person in live classroom).
Related courses
Microsoft PowerPoint: Introduction
Microsoft PowerPoint: Design for Non-Designers
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