A regional newspaper editor has been appointed chief examiner of a new sports journalism certificate.

Dave King, from the Swindon Advertiser, also played a key role in developing the new Preliminary Certificate in Sports Journalism.

The exam, run by the National Council for the Training of Journalists, is not a stand-alone course but an additional certificate running alongside standard exams such as shorthand and media law.

The first examinations were taken last week by candidates at the News Associates/Sportsbeat centre, in Wimbledon. If successful, the course may even be offered as a post-NCE certificate.

The exam consists of two parts: a live match report written for "today's website" and "tomorrow's" newspaper and a one-hour written exam testing round-ups, sporting knowledge, politics and public affairs and interviews.

Dave said: "The sports journalism exam is an excellent addition to the NCTJ's preliminary certificate portfolio.

"The course itself provides a solid grounding to journalists aspiring for a career in sport, acting as a perfect extension to the bread and butter basics of journalism training.

"Sports journalism has been crying out for this sort of course and examination for a long while.

"Sports journalism is a fast, thinking-on-your-feet specialism which requires depth of knowledge about the subject, an ability to work to the tightest of deadlines and to cope in a multimedia environment.

"This has to be the way forward to boost the standards of sports journalism in our industry."

The certificate is broken up into six units: an introduction to sports reporting; the sports news cycle; press conferences and interviewing; sports news, public affairs and politics; sports features and sub-editing sports copy.

Trainee sub-editors can also study for this exam if they want to specialise in sports sub-editing.

Extensive research was conducted by the NCTJ over the past 12 months and many editors were consulted on its development.

Assessments were trialled in November by more than 50 students at News Associates/Sportsbeat, the University of Brighton and Staffordshire University.

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