The pass rate for the National Qualification in Journalism has risen to 62pc – the highest rate since the new qualification was brought in.

Senior status was awarded to 54 candidates following the exams in November which were sat by 88 trainee journalists at nine centres across the UK.

The NQJ was introduced in March this year to replace the National Certificate Examination and the pass rate was 54pc then and 49pc in July.

For last November’s exams, the pass rate was 53pc and the latest result of 62pc is the highest since March 2011.

The NQJ is divided into four sections – media law and practice, a news report, a news interview and a logbook.

Comparing the result with the previous NQJ in July, chief examiner Steve Nelson said: “It was particularly pleasing to see a 26 percentage point rise in the pass rate for the media law and practice section, from 43pc to 69pc.”

Examiners were impressed by how candidates handled the ethics question on the law paper, which concerned problems encountered by a reporter on a police raid.

The pass rate of 69pc on the media law and practice paper compared to a pass rate of 66pc for the news report section, 76pc for the news interview and 100pc for the logbook.

For the news interview and news report exams, the examiners highlighted problems with accuracy, shorthand and lack of attention to detail.

They also questioned how many trainees carried out face-to-face interviews on a regular basis.

The  full list of successful candidates was:

Matthew Abbott -Thurrock Gazette
Ramzy Alwakeel – Romford Recorder
Gemma Angell – Courier Newspapers
Ellis Barker – Newbury Weekly News
Kathryn Cain – Bedford on Sunday
Johanna Carr -The West Briton
Elise Chamberlain – Sutton Coldfield Observer
Marcus Chippindale – Bucks Herald
David Cosgrove – Hertfordshire Mercury
Robin Cottle – Bexley Times
Jessica Cree – Lancashire Telegraph
Robert John-Dalling – Llanelli Star
Lizzie Dearden – Ilford Recorder
David Doyle – Rotherham Advertiser
Anna  Dubuis – Barking & Dagenham Post
James Dunn – Grimsby Telegraph
Alexander Evans – Weston Worle & Somerset Mercury
David Freezer – Eastern Daily Press
Sam Inkersole – Courier Newspapers
Ben James -The Argus
Laura James -The Sentinel
Nicola Jaques -The Garstang Courier
Lydia Sofia Johnson – Hereford Times
James Johnson – News and Star
Alex Johnston – Ackrill Media Group
Craig Jones – Wiltshire Times
Luke Lambert – The Echo, Basildon
Lucy Elizabeth Leeson – Hull Daily Mail
Samantha Lewis – Herts Advertiser
Stephanie Manley – Westmorland Gazette
Katie Mansfield – Essex Enquirer
Michael John-Marsh – Somerset County Gazette
Hardeep Matharu – Epsom Guardian
Daniel Robert-Milligan – Somerset County Gazette
Sophie Morgan – Western Gazette Co Ltd.
Samuel James Morris – Lincolnshire Echo
Andrew Nowell – Wigan Evening Post
Amanda Nunn – Ilford Recorder
Lisa-Porter – Target Series
Thomas Potter – East Anglian Daily Times
James Preston – Maidenhead Advertiser
Jonathan George Pritchard – Shropshire Star
Jason-Pritchard -Banbury Guardian
Emma Rigby – Wirral Globe
Alexander Robertson – Courier Media Group Ltd.
Sarah Robinson – Whitehaven News
Daniel Robinson – Henley Standard
Anna Slater – Hendon Times Group
Sophia Sleigh – Sutton Guardian
Francesca Taffs – North Devon Journal
Jonathon Taylor – Western Gazette Co Ltd.
Christopher Terris Taylor – Warrington Guardian
Sarah Trotter – News Shopper
Emma Walker – Dorset Echo