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Pass rate for senior journalist exam rises to 67pc

The pass rate for the National Qualification in Journalism has risen above two third for the first time with 67pc of candidates achieving senior status.

A total of 90 candidates sat the exam on Friday 7 March at nine centres across the UK.

Senior status was awarded to 60 candidates who were described by the chief examiner Steve Nelson as “an exceptionally talented crop of candidates.”

The 67pc pass rate compares with a figure of 62pc in the November NQJ, 49pc in July and 54pc last March, the first time that candidates sat the new-look qualification.

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

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

As previously reported on HTFP, some candidates had to resit the law section of the exam after a computer glitch resulted in their papers being lost.

The NCTJ has apologised for the problem which affected candidates who sat the exam at Harlow College.

Steve Nelson addressed the issue in his chief examiners’ report,  acknowledging that the incident was “understandably distressing for all involved.”

He said the 10 candidates affected were offered a re-sit of the media law and practice paper a week later, and all 10 candidates re-sat the exam.

Of these 10, seven passed the full NQJ. The three remaining candidates will not be charged for any re-sits in the July 2014 exam sitting.

Said Steve: “The NCTJ has conducted a full investigation of the incident and is considering a number of options. Action will be taken to reduce the risk of this happening again.”

Commenting on the overall standard of entries, Steve said: “From these results I can only conclude this was an exceptionally talented crop of candidates from rapidly changing and more demanding newsrooms who were well prepared for the exam.”

The NCE for Sports Reporters, which also took place on 7 March, produced a 100pc success rate, with all four candidates achieving senior reporter status.

The full list of successful candidates was:

William  Ackermann  Express & Star
Christopher  Adams  Lancashire Telegraph
Shams  Al-Shakarchi  Courier Media Group
Richard  Ashton  Bracknell News
Hywel  Barrett Hunts Post
Donna-Louise  Bishop  Eastern Daily Press
Hannah Louise  Bryan  Newsquest (North East)
Sara  Bryce  Isle of Wight County Press
Elizabeth  Buchan  Cambridge News & Mail
Adam  Care  Wiltshire Times
Rebecca May  Carr  Kidderminster Shuttle
James  Chapple  Camberley News
Daniel  Chipperfield  Gloucestershire Gazette
Rebecca  Cohen  Burnley Express
Thomas  Cotterill  Littlehampton Gazette
Emily  Davies  Oswestry Advertiser
Michael  Davies  The Argus, Brighton
Nazia  Dewji  Surrey Comet
Charlotte  Dobson  The Bolton News
Amy  Dyduch  Richmond & Twickenham Times
Martin   Elvery  Banbury Guardian
Bethan  Evans  Weston Worle & Somerset Mercury
Joseph  Faretra  Andover Advertiser
Samuel  Greenway  Bromsgrove Messenger/Advertiser
Philip   Hayes  Courier Media Group
John Alexander Hayward Freelance
Hannah  Hulme  The Sentinel, Stoke
Matthew  Hunter  East Anglian Daily Times
Amy  Jones  Western Telegraph
Lee  Kettle  Tamworth Herald
Emma   Lake  Bury Free Press
Timothy Oliver  Lamden  Ham & High
Andre   Langlois  Surrey Advertiser
Tim  MacFarlan  News Shopper
Frederick  Mayhew Barking & Dagenham Post
Ruth  McKee  Enfield Gazette & Advertiser
Hayley  Mills  South Wales Argus
James  Morris  Congleton Chronicle
Jennifer  Morris  Surrey Advertiser
Hayley  Mortimer  Stroud News & Journal
Miles  O’Leary  The News, Portsmouth
Charlotte  Pearson  Chichester Observer
Rebecca  Perring  Watford Observer
Joshua  Powling West Sussex County Times
Laura  Proto   Elmbridge Guardian
Ella  Rhodes  Derby Telegraph
Emma  Robinson  Maldon & Burnham Standard
Wesley  Rock  Hampshire Chronicle
Lucy  Ross-Millar  Cambridge News
Daniel  Russell Nottingham Post
Joey  Severn  Derby Telegraph
Bruce  Thain  Harrow Times
Flora  Thompson  Western Gazette
Antony  Thrower  Courier Media Group
Kelly  Tyler  Derby Telegraph
Andrew  Wakefield  Belper News
Daniel  Whiteway  Slough Observer
Laura  Wild  Lancashire Evening Post
Michael  Yong  Gloucestershire Echo
Anna  Young  Kent Messenger Group

10 comments

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  • April 16, 2014 at 10:58 am
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    Well done oon the pass rate but in my experience of more than 50 years the best journalists I have come across have had no qualifications and yet have become national figures – on the ball, resolute, accurate etc.,

    It’s strange but there is a real dividing line, subs are great with lay outs etc., but ask them to door step somebody or do anything that requires initiative or bravery and they can’t do it – they talk a good fight but try putting them in the firing line? With all best wishes, Ken Jackson

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  • April 16, 2014 at 11:46 am
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    Glad you’re happy with ‘Well done OON the pass rate’. Perhaps you’re not a sub?

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  • April 16, 2014 at 5:30 pm
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    When newspapers were in their heyday you did not need a university education to get into regional journalism.
    Nowadays, they have made it a middle class preserve and this tells in the content of what’s left of local dailies and weeklies.
    The uni crowd are a fine lot, but they only represent a very narrow strand of society. Newspapers should reflect all aspects of everyday life, not just the elitist The Guardian viewpoint.
    At the worst end, it is like nursing. Nurses today have to go through university and you end up with staff who are “too posh to wash”. That’s one reason why hospital standards have fallen so much.
    Anyway, best of luck to everybody.
    Here endeth the first lesson.

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  • April 16, 2014 at 10:54 pm
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    Congratulations, Tom (Cotterill)!

    Just reward for your hard work. Now enjoy your Xbox.

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  • April 19, 2014 at 5:09 pm
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    Well done all. Now you can start learning to be a proper journalist, digging out your own stories, writing good concise English, and never using a press release without rewriting it. It will take ten years at least to become a proper rounded mature journalist. If you are lucky there might be an older hack left to teach you something other than tweeting, shooting shaky and pointless videos and slapping dreadful user generated copy straight into paper.
    As somebody once sung We have only just begun.
    By the way has anyone heard of trainees bring issued with recording machines because their shorthand is so poor and their copy is needed to fill holes.
    My best wishes to young hacks on their career journey. There are some potentially good ones out there, if they get right guidance.

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  • April 19, 2014 at 5:15 pm
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    It takes ten years or so to become a proper rounded hack. The exams are just the start of the journey, but good luck to them all.
    Just wish someone would check the English of most of these kids.
    Grammar, punctuation and style are at lowest levels on local papers for many years. Where are the subs?

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  • April 23, 2014 at 10:03 am
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    Ten years to become a proper hack? How many of these young people will still be in the industry in ten years? Or even five years?

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