Of the 199 hopefuls, 95 passed all four sections – news interview, news report, newspaper practice and logbook – to become senior reporters.

Here's our at-a-glance guide to each section of the test, and what the examiners thought of the entries.

News interview

Candidates: 151
Passed: 95
Pass rate: 63pc

The test centred around an unprovoked attack on a pensioner in her own home and the aim was for candidates to conduct a face-to-face interview and elicit enough information to write a vigorous and well-balanced story.

The senior examiner for the news interview said: "The best stories drew a vivid picture in the minds of the readers and supported the opening with an appropriate structure and quotes.

"Those who did not pass should take note of the skills needed by a reporter in a 21st century newsroom. Publishers quite rightly have a focus on changing technology but core journalistic skills must not be forgotten. It does not matter what platform is being used to tell a story, the basics must still be there.

"In today's crowded market where there are so many news outlets, it is important to get the best story, the story that will make your publication stand out and be the first that readers will trust."

News report

Candidates: 186
Passed: 98
Pass rate: 53pc

Information about the development of a derelict canal basin as a centre for tourism and leisure was given to candidates in a press conference setting.

The senior examiner said: "Most candidates picked up on the key aspects of the story – the restoration, moorings, homes and opportunities for businesses to set up in the canal basin. Many of the stories submitted were sound, accurate reports from candidates who were a credit to their editors."

She added: "It was clear that many candidates found their shorthand lacking. The examiners were presented with many partial quote extracts, stitched quotes and even in a few cases completely fictitious quotes.

"The examiners cannot stress enough just how important it is for a journalist to maintain their shorthand at a minimum of 100wpm throughout their career."

Newspaper practice

Candidates: 149
Passed: 98
Pass rate: 66pc

The chief examiner said: "Examiners found some very good answers, but also a relatively high number where candidates had struggled. The practice questions are about ideas and showing how you would tackle a story."

He added: "Anecdotally we hear that reporters are increasingly tied to their desks and unable to get out to cover stories. If this is the case it may be that they are not amassing enough experience to do themselves justice on the practice questions."

Logbook

Candidates: 101
Passed: 97
Pass rate: 96pc

The senior examiner for logbooks said: "The vast majority of logbooks showed solid, well-written copy from journalists who are responding to training and growing in both confidence and stature.

"One negative trend is that on some occasions poorly written copy is going straight into print or on the website. It appears that some stories do not look to have been edited properly and while this may reflect poorly on candidates, it is an issue for the industry itself to deal with in these difficult times."