Presentation Skills & Technical Competency (PSTC)
Presentation Skills & Technical Competency (PSTC) tests whether you can communicate financial and technical information clearly and demonstrate sound technical judgement. Expect tasks on structure, slide design, data visualisation, delivery and accurate technical calculation.
Core rules and concepts
- Audience analysis: identify the decision required, the audience's prior knowledge and the time available.
- Structure: use a clear opening, body and close; one message per slide; signpost transitions.
- Data visualisation: bar charts for comparison, line charts for trend, tables for precision; label axes, units and sources.
- Delivery: maintain eye contact, pace and signposting; slides support the speaker rather than script the speech.
- Technical competency: state assumptions, reconcile figures, keep version control and check calculations.
Worked example
You must present a 12% travel overspend. A weak slide is a pie chart of expense categories with no baseline. A strong slide is a bar chart comparing budget and actual by quarter, with the headline: 'Travel overspend Rs 2.4m driven by Q3 airfare.' Add the recommended control: pre-approval for bookings above Rs 150,000. Reasoning: the chart shows the variance, the headline explains the cause, and the recommendation gives the audience a decision to make.
Traps that cost marks
- Reading bullet points verbatim.
- Overcrowding slides with dense text.
- Using 3D or decorative charts that distort comparison.
- Omitting units, dates or data sources.
- Hiding bad news instead of explaining it.
- Using technical jargon with a non-technical board.
Exam focus
Match the visual to the message and justify the choice. A technically correct calculation still loses marks if the audience cannot see the decision, the cause and the recommended action.