PowerPoint, I work in TV comedy. As you know, when it comes to comedy, timing is everything.

Presentations are no different. That's why I have a "Rehearse Timing" feature. So, if your assignment is a 30-minute presentation on dinosaurs, you'll know if your presentation is too long or too short. You want time to get across the information you need, but you don't want your audience falling asleep or fidgeting in their seats.

Timing your presentation When you select Rehearse Timings, your Slide Show starts running, and PowerPoint starts timing it. The timing is displayed in the Rehearsal dialog box. When the Slide Show comes to an end, PowerPoint will give you the final running time. Follow these steps to time your presentation: 1. Click the Slide Show menu, and then click Rehearse Timings. The Slide Show begins and a Rehearsal dialog box appears in the lower-right-hand corner of the screen. 2. Begin speaking and presenting your show. 3. If you want to repeat your rehearsal of a slide, click the Repeat button on the Rehearsal dialog box. The current slide repeats and the timing for it starts over. 4. Rehearse your presentation until it's finished. After you're done, a message box appears. It tells you the final running time and it asks you if you want to record the timings to use for viewing the presentation. 5. Click No. You are returned to the PowerPoint window. Note: You click No because you are only timing the show. You would click Yes if you wanted to use the recorded timings to automate your presentation.