Assessment files
Reduce a coursework presentation file without losing essential content
Reduce a copy, then test the submission
Keep the editable original, confirm the actual submission rules, and change one working copy at a time.
Who this is for: Students whose presentation or required media exceeds an upload limit.
Before you start: A smaller file is not a successful result if required evidence, captions, alternate audio or accessibility information is missing.
- Record the accepted format and whether the limit is per file or for the whole submission.
- For PowerPoint, inspect embedded versus linked media and use the documented options for your version. A link to a file only on your laptop is not a complete handover.
- For a permitted PDF output, check the exported text, figures and required content against the original; do not use a different format simply to meet the size limit.
- For a required video file, confirm the supported format and retain required audio and subtitle content. Use the application and institution’s instructions.
- Open the result, test demanding sections and the approved upload route when available, then keep the exact accepted file and receipt.
Keep a change-and-test record
Record one change at a time so an unsuitable result can be traced back to the preserved original.
- Required output
- Format, per-file/total limit and the current course instruction.
- Working copy
- Filename and size before the change.
- One change
- What changed and the new size.
- Checks
- Readable figures/text, playback, audio, captions and permitted linked material.
- Submission
- Accepted route, exact submitted filename and receipt or unresolved error.
When to ask for help: Before the deadline, ask the module or technical team for an authorised alternative if required content still will not fit. Do not upload restricted coursework to an unrelated converter or substitute a public link without agreement.
A presentation that exceeds an upload limit needs a controlled reduction, not a rushed sequence of random conversions. Keep the editable original safe and find out which part of the file is large. Then change only what the assessment permits while preserving the evidence and accessibility information the marker needs.
Microsoft documents media compression and supported audio and video formats in PowerPoint. Its compression guidance warns that embedded subtitles and alternate audio tracks can be lost. That makes inspection of a separate output copy essential. Follow your course's file requirements and use its support route if the required content cannot fit through the stated submission method.
AI-assisted coursework-file guidance. Your course controls the required format, submission route and accessibility requirements. Our editorial approach
Read the limit precisely
Check the assessment's maximum file size and accepted formats in the current submission instructions. Confirm whether the limit applies to each file or the whole submission. Do not borrow a limit from another module or an old help page. Write down the actual size of your current file so the reduction target is clear.
Create a separate working copy for the size-reduction process. Keep the original project and source media in their approved location. Name the copy to show its purpose. This gives you a way to compare outputs and undo an unsuitable change without trying to reconstruct the full presentation from a compressed version.
Identify the largest material
Look for long videos, high-resolution images, duplicated media or unused content retained in the deck. Decide whether each item is required for the argument or assessment. Removing an unused duplicate is different from lowering the quality of a graph whose labels must remain readable. Start with changes that preserve the intended content completely.
Check whether a video is embedded or linked and what the course expects to receive. A small deck that points to a file on your own laptop is not a complete submission. Do not solve the size problem by breaking the relationship between the presentation and its evidence. Use the approved delivery method for any permitted linked material.
Apply one controlled reduction
Use the application's documented media or image options on the separate copy. Select a setting suited to the required viewing task rather than the smallest possible output. Keep a note of the change and resulting file size. One change at a time makes it easier to identify why a caption disappeared or a figure became unclear.
If compression can remove subtitle or alternate-audio information, preserve the source and follow the course's accessible-media requirements. Check the supported method for retaining or replacing required tracks. Do not assume a smaller file is acceptable merely because the main picture still plays. The relevant information includes more than the visible video frame.
Microsoft’s Compress Media feature is available in PowerPoint for Windows, not PowerPoint for Mac or the web; that process removes embedded subtitles and alternate audio tracks. Preserve the original and check the output against your course’s accessibility requirements. If this feature is unavailable or would remove required content, ask your course or technical team for an approved alternative.
Inspect the difficult sections
Open the reduced file and examine the most demanding slides: small text, data plots, diagrams and fast or detailed video. Listen to speech and check synchronisation. Compare the output with the original where a change is unclear. A quick glance at the title slide will not reveal whether essential content was damaged.
Test playback through the intended presentation or submission route if a sample facility is available. If the format is rejected, use the official guidance for the actual application and platform. Avoid uploading private or restricted coursework to an unrelated conversion service simply because it promises an immediate smaller file.
Escalate an unresolved mismatch
If the necessary content still exceeds the permitted limit, contact the module or technical team before the deadline with the file type, size and requirement. Ask for the authorised alternative submission route. Do not replace the required deliverable with a public link or omit assessed material without agreement.
Retain the exact accepted submission and its receipt alongside the original. Extra storage may help retain project media, but it does not change the portal's upload rules. The useful outcome is a file that fits the approved method and still communicates the work accurately, with any necessary accessibility content intact.
Choose the file your course requires
Use the route that matches the required submission. The course decides the format, size limit and accessibility requirements; a Microsoft setting does not change those rules.
PowerPoint file
- Keep an editable original and change a separate copy. On PowerPoint for Windows, File > Info > Compress Media can reduce embedded media; this feature is unavailable on Mac and the web.
- That compression removes embedded subtitles and alternate audio tracks. If either is required, stop and agree an accessible alternative before using the compressed copy.
- Reopen the copy and test embedded and linked media. A file linked only from your laptop will not be available to the marker.
PDF file
- Export to PDF only if the course accepts it. Keep the editable presentation. In Windows, File > Export > Create PDF/XPS offers Standard and Minimum size; compare readable figures and text before choosing a smaller output.
- Run the Accessibility Checker in the source file and address its findings. Follow Microsoft’s instructions for retaining PDF accessibility tags, then inspect the exported reading order and required content; a smaller PDF is not an accessibility check.
- On Mac, PDF choices differ by version. The “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility” option sends the document to Microsoft’s online conversion service. Use it only if your institution permits that processing; ask for an approved alternative for restricted coursework.
Video file
- Check the submission portal’s accepted container, encoding and size limit. Microsoft recommends MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio for PowerPoint compatibility; that does not establish what your portal accepts.
- Keep the source recording. Check the whole exported video for intelligible speech, readable detail, captions and any required alternate audio. Test a demanding section as well as the opening.
- Use an authorised upload test if available. Keep the accepted file and receipt; ask the course team before substituting a public link or removing required material.
Before submitting, record the exact filename, format, size, required accessibility checks and the portal’s result. If the limit applies to the complete submission, count every required file.
Microsoft sources consulted with AI assistance on . Follow the instructions for your own application version.
Your next steps
- Record the current file limit and format.
- Preserve the original before compression.
- Check subtitles and alternate audio after changes.
- Ask for an authorised route if required content still will not fit.
Sources and further help
Each source below shows its recorded consultation date. Provider terms and services can change; check your exact booking, product or university service.
Keep planning
- Prepare a presentation PDF that works as a coursework handout
- Scan handwritten coursework into a complete readable file
- Plan a large coursework upload before the deadline
- Keep coursework backed up and practise getting it back