AddThis SmartLayers

Almost half of trainees pass latest NCE

Just under half of trainee reporters taking the spring National Certificate Examination passed the industry exam.

Of the 242 candidates sitting the NCE, 113 were awarded ‘senior reporter’ status by examining body the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

To become a senior reporter, trainees must pass all four sections of the NCE:

  • News Interview
  • News Report
  • Newspaper Practice
  • Logbook
  • The 49pc pass rate is on a par with the last NCE sitting in the autumn with the 242 trainees representing the highest entry figure for two years.

    The chief examiner said in his report: “With the newspaper industry still firmly in the grip of the recession, it was pleasing to see this surge in the numbers taking the exam and gaining the industry-standard qualification. Hopefully, it will stand them in good stead at this difficult time.

    “However, we can now expect a downturn in numbers because of recruitment freezes and redundancies.

    “Whereas the pass rate of 66pc in the interview section was broadly in line with that of previous years, it was disappointing to see the news report pass rate fall for the second successive NCE to 53pc.

    “There was a higher pass rate of 71pc for newspaper practice, but the 95pc pass rate for the logbook section was a little worrying because of the nature of the failures highlighted in the examiner’s report.”

  • Click through to see which candidates earned special praise and the £250 examiners’ award.
  • And read here what the examiners themselves thought overall about the NCE.

  • The full list of those who passed is below:

    Elizabeth Anderson, Westmorland Gazette
    Gail Anderson, Western Gazette
    Sharon Baker, Grimsby Telegraph
    Danielle Jane Beeton, Sunderland Echo
    Hannah Bence, Target Series
    Sara Joanna Black, Hertfordshire Mercury
    Donna Bowater, Northampton Chronicle & Echo
    Ian Boydon, Westmorland Gazette
    Dominic James Brown, Todmorden News
    Charles Thomas Campbell, Wanstead & Woodford Guardian

    Andrew Carswell, Bucks Free Press
    Claire Carter, Nottingham Evening Post
    Lauren Chadwick, Dewsbury Reporter
    Mark Chandler, News Shopper
    Jessica Childs, Hereford Times
    Sarah Clapson, Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
    Emily Cleland, Gloucestershire Echo
    Hayley Coleman, Congleton Chronicle
    Andrew Cooney, Leigh Reporter & Wigan Evening Post
    Harriet Cooper, Sevenoaks Chronicle

    Hannah Costigan, Shrewsbury Chronicle
    Michael Cotton, Barnsley Chronicle
    Shemina Davis, Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
    Gareth Dennison, Worksop Guardian
    Michael Didymus, Surrey Comet
    Mark Ditchfield, Epworth Bells
    Rebecca Anne Dixon, Hexham Courant
    Rebecca Draper, Batley News
    James Dwan, Clacton Gazette
    Benjamin James Ellery, Basingstoke Gazette

    Rhiannon Evans, Brentwood Gazette
    Lucy Alice Ewing, Bolton News
    Ben Frampton, South Wales Argus
    Thomas Gardner, Brentwood Gazette
    Bradley Gerrard, Express & Echo, Exeter
    Mariam Ghaemi, Braintree & Witham Times
    Philip Goodwin, The Cornishman
    Paul Keith Goodwin, Doncaster Free Press
    Jason Carl Goodyer, Gravesend Reporter
    Allison Rose Goulding, Sunderland Echo

    Lisa Ann Gray, Heywood Advertiser
    Tracey Gray, Norwich Evening News
    Elizabeth Hambidge, Newark Advertiser
    Chris Harris, Hampshire Chronicle
    Suzanne Hart, Falkirk Herald
    Richard Hartley-Parkinson, The Bucks Herald
    Jonathan Harvey, Kent & Sussex Courier
    Adam Charles Hewitt, Reading Chronicle
    Karl Holbrook, Chorley Guardian
    Tanya Catherine Holden, Nottingham Evening Post

    Alita Howe, Surrey Comet
    Mark Jenkin, North Devon Journal
    Alexandra Jenkins, West Sussex County Times
    Eleanor Margaret Jones, Folkestone Herald
    Christopher Wyn Jones, Middleton Guardian
    Laura Kitching, Dorset Echo
    Jason Lavan, Newport Advertiser
    Elizabeth Laws, Sussex Express
    Elaine Liddle, The Extra
    Caroline Lowbridge, Nottingham Evening Post

    Rebecca Lowe, The Times Series
    Claire Marshall, Gloucestershire Gazette
    Ryan Barry McCarthy, Braintree & Witham Times
    Charlotte McDonald, News Shopper
    Fergus McEwan Isle of Man Newspapers
    Alice McKeegan, Rochdale Observer
    Gareth McPherson, Maidenhead Advertiser
    Gregory Guy Miles, Chichester Observer
    Claire Miller, Sevenoaks Chronicle
    David Mills, News Shopper

    Lee Moran, Kent & Sussex Courier
    Nina Emily Morgan, Halstead Gazette
    David Morgan, Northwich Guardian
    Laura Jean, Morris, Cambridge News
    Alexandra Morrison, Crawley News
    Donald Mort, Wakefield Express
    Charlotte Elizabeth Newton, Ham & High
    Jenny Ousbey, Leicester Mercury
    Lindsay Pantry, Wakefield Express
    Gareth John Parry-Jones, Grimsby Telegraph

    Elizabeth Pears, The Times Series
    Hannah Ramsden, Burnley Express
    Lottie Ray, Isle of Man Newspapers
    Hayley Revell, News Guardian
    Lucie Richards, Basingstoke Gazette
    Charlotte Richardson, Weston & Somerset Mercury
    Edward Riley, Kentish Times
    John Ritchie, Scarborough Evening News
    Anna Angharad Roberts, Reading Evening Post
    Michael Romyn, Kent & Sussex Courier

    David Seymour, Boston Standard
    Laura Elizabeth Shannon, Metro
    Zjan Shirinian, Illford Recorder
    Kelly Alison Shorrock, Derby Evening Telegraph
    Joe Shute, Halifax Evening Courier
    Donna Margaret Simpson, Fife Free Press
    Liam Barry Sloan, Newbury Weekly News
    Jeremy Small, The Press, York
    Chantal Amy Spittles, Worksop Guardian
    Aled Richard Thomas, Gloucestershire Echo

    Katie Thompson, Evesham Journal
    Anna Jessica Marie Thompson, Kent & Sussex Courier
    Rebecca Thornton, Aldershot News
    James Trembath, Selby Times
    Alexandra Louise Vessey, Doncaster Free Press
    Melanie Marie Wallwork, Lancashire Evening Post
    Katherine Watkins, Accrington Observer
    David White, West Sussex Gazette
    Jennifer Williams, Stockport Express & Times
    Neville Wilson, Surrey Mirror

    Beth Woodger, Woking News & Mail
    Oliver Wright, Leicester Mercury
    Joanne Wright, Barnsley Chronicle