How many slides for a 5-minute presentation?
A 5-minute presentation needs about 3 to 5 slides, at one to two minutes per slide.
At a glance
Slides for a 5-minute presentation by style
| Style | Time per slide | Slides |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1–2 min | 3–5 |
| Detailed | 2–3 min | 2–3 |
| Visual | 30–60 sec | 5–10 |
| 10/20/30 rule (pitches) | 2 min | 3 |
- 3–5 slides at a standard pace
- 650–750 words of speaking
- 3 slides for a pitch
Words are at a normal speaking pace of 130–150 words per minute. See the 5-minute speech guide for pages and a script outline.
Where it fits
What a 5-minute presentation is used for
- Job interview presentations, where five minutes on a set topic is a common brief
- Class presentations, oral assessments and student project pitches
- Lightning talks and Ignite slots at meetups and conferences
- Team updates, sprint demos and project check-ins
- Short startup or sales pitches at demo days
Timed outline
How to structure a 5-minute presentation in 5 slides
A plan for 5 slides over 5 minutes, about 1:00 per slide on average.
- 0:00–0:30
Title and hook slide 1
Your title and the one message to remember. Open with a question, a number or a short story.
- 0:30–1:45
First point slide 2
Your strongest point first, with one example, chart or photo.
- 1:45–3:00
Second point slide 3
A second reason or example. Keep it to one idea on the slide.
- 3:00–4:15
Third point slide 4
Your last point. If rehearsal runs long, shorten this one first.
- 4:15–5:00
Close and ask slide 5
Sum up the three points in a line each, then end on a clear ask or next step. Leave this slide up for questions.
Keep your 5-minute presentation on time from your phone
Copresent puts your Google Slides speaker notes, a timer and the slide controls on your phone, so you can see how long you have spent and move on when it's time. No second screen needed.
See how it worksOther lengths
Planning a different length?
FAQ
How many slides for a 5-minute presentation?
A 5-minute presentation needs about 3 to 5 slides, at one to two minutes per slide. A detailed deck with dense charts or code needs fewer, about 2–3, and a visual deck of mostly images can use 5–10.
How long should each slide be in a 5-minute presentation?
About one to two minutes on average. With 4 slides, each one gets about 1:15. Title and section slides take a few seconds, so the slides with content get a little longer.
Does the 10/20/30 rule apply to a 5-minute presentation?
Only for a pitch. Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule says a pitch should have 10 slides, last 20 minutes and use text of at least 30 points. Scaled to 5 minutes at two minutes a slide, that is about 3 slides.
How many words is a 5-minute presentation?
About 650 to 750 words at a normal speaking pace of 130–150 words per minute, which is roughly 130–250 words of speaking per slide.
Is 10 slides too many for a 5-minute presentation?
Only if they have much text on them. Ten slides gives each one 30 seconds, the fast end of a visual deck, which works for photos, diagrams or one big number per slide. With bullet points or charts, keep to 3 to 5 slides so people have time to read them.
How many slides for a 5-minute Ignite talk?
Exactly 20. An Ignite talk is 20 slides that advance on their own every 15 seconds, so it is a format of its own rather than a normal pace. For a 5-minute talk where you move the slides yourself, 3 to 5 is plenty.
How many slides for a 5-minute job interview presentation?
About 5: a title slide that states your main message, one slide for each of three points, and a closing slide that sums up why you are the right fit. Interviewers often stop you at the time limit, so rehearse to finish in 4 and a half minutes.