Just under half of trainee reporters taking the spring National Certificate Examination passed the industry exam.

Of the 242 candidates sitting the NCE, 113 were awarded ‘senior reporter’ status by examining body the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

To become a senior reporter, trainees must pass all four sections of the NCE:

The 49pc pass rate is on a par with the last NCE sitting in the autumn with the 242 trainees representing the highest entry figure for two years.

The chief examiner said in his report: “With the newspaper industry still firmly in the grip of the recession, it was pleasing to see this surge in the numbers taking the exam and gaining the industry-standard qualification. Hopefully, it will stand them in good stead at this difficult time.

“However, we can now expect a downturn in numbers because of recruitment freezes and redundancies.

“Whereas the pass rate of 66pc in the interview section was broadly in line with that of previous years, it was disappointing to see the news report pass rate fall for the second successive NCE to 53pc.

“There was a higher pass rate of 71pc for newspaper practice, but the 95pc pass rate for the logbook section was a little worrying because of the nature of the failures highlighted in the examiner’s report.”

The full list of those who passed is below:

Elizabeth Anderson, Westmorland Gazette
Gail Anderson, Western Gazette
Sharon Baker, Grimsby Telegraph
Danielle Jane Beeton, Sunderland Echo
Hannah Bence, Target Series
Sara Joanna Black, Hertfordshire Mercury
Donna Bowater, Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Ian Boydon, Westmorland Gazette
Dominic James Brown, Todmorden News
Charles Thomas Campbell, Wanstead & Woodford Guardian

Andrew Carswell, Bucks Free Press
Claire Carter, Nottingham Evening Post
Lauren Chadwick, Dewsbury Reporter
Mark Chandler, News Shopper
Jessica Childs, Hereford Times
Sarah Clapson, Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
Emily Cleland, Gloucestershire Echo
Hayley Coleman, Congleton Chronicle
Andrew Cooney, Leigh Reporter & Wigan Evening Post
Harriet Cooper, Sevenoaks Chronicle

Hannah Costigan, Shrewsbury Chronicle
Michael Cotton, Barnsley Chronicle
Shemina Davis, Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
Gareth Dennison, Worksop Guardian
Michael Didymus, Surrey Comet
Mark Ditchfield, Epworth Bells
Rebecca Anne Dixon, Hexham Courant
Rebecca Draper, Batley News
James Dwan, Clacton Gazette
Benjamin James Ellery, Basingstoke Gazette

Rhiannon Evans, Brentwood Gazette
Lucy Alice Ewing, Bolton News
Ben Frampton, South Wales Argus
Thomas Gardner, Brentwood Gazette
Bradley Gerrard, Express & Echo, Exeter
Mariam Ghaemi, Braintree & Witham Times
Philip Goodwin, The Cornishman
Paul Keith Goodwin, Doncaster Free Press
Jason Carl Goodyer, Gravesend Reporter
Allison Rose Goulding, Sunderland Echo

Lisa Ann Gray, Heywood Advertiser
Tracey Gray, Norwich Evening News
Elizabeth Hambidge, Newark Advertiser
Chris Harris, Hampshire Chronicle
Suzanne Hart, Falkirk Herald
Richard Hartley-Parkinson, The Bucks Herald
Jonathan Harvey, Kent & Sussex Courier
Adam Charles Hewitt, Reading Chronicle
Karl Holbrook, Chorley Guardian
Tanya Catherine Holden, Nottingham Evening Post

Alita Howe, Surrey Comet
Mark Jenkin, North Devon Journal
Alexandra Jenkins, West Sussex County Times
Eleanor Margaret Jones, Folkestone Herald
Christopher Wyn Jones, Middleton Guardian
Laura Kitching, Dorset Echo
Jason Lavan, Newport Advertiser
Elizabeth Laws, Sussex Express
Elaine Liddle, The Extra
Caroline Lowbridge, Nottingham Evening Post

Rebecca Lowe, The Times Series
Claire Marshall, Gloucestershire Gazette
Ryan Barry McCarthy, Braintree & Witham Times
Charlotte McDonald, News Shopper
Fergus McEwan Isle of Man Newspapers
Alice McKeegan, Rochdale Observer
Gareth McPherson, Maidenhead Advertiser
Gregory Guy Miles, Chichester Observer
Claire Miller, Sevenoaks Chronicle
David Mills, News Shopper

Lee Moran, Kent & Sussex Courier
Nina Emily Morgan, Halstead Gazette
David Morgan, Northwich Guardian
Laura Jean, Morris, Cambridge News
Alexandra Morrison, Crawley News
Donald Mort, Wakefield Express
Charlotte Elizabeth Newton, Ham & High
Jenny Ousbey, Leicester Mercury
Lindsay Pantry, Wakefield Express
Gareth John Parry-Jones, Grimsby Telegraph

Elizabeth Pears, The Times Series
Hannah Ramsden, Burnley Express
Lottie Ray, Isle of Man Newspapers
Hayley Revell, News Guardian
Lucie Richards, Basingstoke Gazette
Charlotte Richardson, Weston & Somerset Mercury
Edward Riley, Kentish Times
John Ritchie, Scarborough Evening News
Anna Angharad Roberts, Reading Evening Post
Michael Romyn, Kent & Sussex Courier

David Seymour, Boston Standard
Laura Elizabeth Shannon, Metro
Zjan Shirinian, Illford Recorder
Kelly Alison Shorrock, Derby Evening Telegraph
Joe Shute, Halifax Evening Courier
Donna Margaret Simpson, Fife Free Press
Liam Barry Sloan, Newbury Weekly News
Jeremy Small, The Press, York
Chantal Amy Spittles, Worksop Guardian
Aled Richard Thomas, Gloucestershire Echo

Katie Thompson, Evesham Journal
Anna Jessica Marie Thompson, Kent & Sussex Courier
Rebecca Thornton, Aldershot News
James Trembath, Selby Times
Alexandra Louise Vessey, Doncaster Free Press
Melanie Marie Wallwork, Lancashire Evening Post
Katherine Watkins, Accrington Observer
David White, West Sussex Gazette
Jennifer Williams, Stockport Express & Times
Neville Wilson, Surrey Mirror

Beth Woodger, Woking News & Mail
Oliver Wright, Leicester Mercury
Joanne Wright, Barnsley Chronicle