Changes to the structure of the National Certificate Examination candidates' big day appears to have helped improve their marks, according to the examiners.

The tricky Newspaper Practice paper for trainee journalists was this time moved to the start of the day - leaving candidates fresher for the exam which used to take place at the end of a day full of tests.

Examiners for the National Council for the Training of Journalists believe the change prompted a "significant and welcome drop in the number of silly, stupid and bizarre mistakes".

Unfortunately, in the Newspaper Practice paper, they also noted that the poor standard of English was maintained - and the fact that candidates also told the markers what they could do in certain situations - rather than getting on and doing it.

"Listing several options did not earn a pass mark without an indication of which the candidate would have chosen," was the verdict.

And the examiners concluded: "The increase in the percentage passing is welcome but when one in five candidates fails to reach even a borderline mark there is an all too obvious suggestion that some trainees are not getting the necessary on-the-job training and supervision."

In the News Interview paper, the examiners said: "The detail and 'colour' for readers was missed. Indeed, some stories read more like a report to the council than an attempt to convey a night of drama to Oxdown's readers."

But at the same time: "There was a high proportion of top scoring papers with candidates providing well-crafted stories that were a pleasure to read. With a few exceptions, most trainees managed to write to length."

In the Speech paper, candidates took advantage of the reporter's printed brief, which provided a good supply of background facts and figures - and most were reproduced accurately.

Howlers this year included: