LOGBOOKS
- 184 candidates;
- 173 passed - 94 per cent

The pass rate again reflects the high quality of work being produced by young journalists and the commitment to training in newspaper offices all over the country.

Of those who failed, only two did so because their copy was simply unacceptable. One offered a story which could well have led to libel proceedings had the subs not caught it in time. The other submitted copy in which, among other errors, a woman was quoted as saying she no longer wanted to live when what she actually said was "leave". Happily the subs caught this, too. How either of these made their way into logbooks as examples of the candidates' competence is a mystery.

Three candidates failed because they did not submit original copy with their cuttings. All pleaded that their computer systems were to blame, but the examiners felt that as they had had up to a year to find alternative submissions this was not an acceptable excuse. It is essential that the markers see candidates' own work, not that of their subs.

Other reasons for failure included missing pages, unendorsed stories, unpublished copy, and submission of the same story twice. These are all problems that should have been picked up by trainers long before the logbooks were handed in on NCE day.

Among those candidates who passed, too many lost marks for submitting inappropriate stories. The three key task categories which continue to cause most problems are:

Reviews: The examiners want to see evidence of candidates' ability to exercise critical judgement of an artistic or cultural production or performance, and give notice that they will no longer accept restaurant reviews ("the feta cheese was nice and so was the salmon"), descriptions of holiday trips ("the view from my hotel was mega") or afternoons spent test-driving the latest Audi ("cool").

Public inquiries/tribunals/statutory bodies: This category does not include protest marches, planning meetings or appeals to the US embassy.

Major incidents: Submissions for this key task should be off-diary stories about incidents which the candidates have covered in their own area, not about local people's reactions to events elsewhere, such as the Asian tsunami disaster.

Future candidates are strongly urged to read the current guidelines on logbook content, presentation and submission. Copies of these are sent to all trainees and can be seen on the NCTJ website.

The greater role now played by the logbook as part of the NCE was a response to requests from editors and trainers for more emphasis on candidates' everyday work. Its success depends upon the continued willingness of editors and trainers to maintain regular in-house assessments, monitor logbook production, and, crucially, join the logbook markers' panels.

The examiners are concerned that the number of volunteer markers this time was much lower than on previous occasions, and hope this can be redressed. To those who did contribute their time, effort and expertise this spring, toiling through 184 logbooks containing 6,290 submissions, our grateful thanks.

The NCTJ will be conducting a review of the logbook over the summer to see what, if any, amendments and improvements are needed. The views of editors, trainers and candidates will be very welcome.

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