Shorthand skills continued to pose a problem for candidates in the news report exam with the examiners highlighting the issue for the third NCE running

In their report, the examiners found that many candidates were getting into difficulties because of a tendency to take a verbatim note rather than “listening and noting the essentials for the story.”

However candidates in the newspaper practice exam were praised for their “excellent knowledge of media law.”

Examiners were heartened by the 80pc pass rate in both this exam and the news interview paper.

Of the 79 hopefuls, 49 passed all four sections News Interview, News Report, Newspaper Practice and Logbook to become senior reporters. Of these 32 were sitting the NCE for the first time while 17 were resitting the exam.

Here’s our at-a-glance guide to each section of the test and what the examiners thought of the candidates.

News Interview

Candidates: 64
Passed: 51
Pass rate: 80pc

The news interview centred on a dramatic story about a teacher and farmer’s wife who went to confront bikers on her farmland and who was later found unconscious with a serious head injury from which she later died. Police found mobile phone footage of the confrontation which the victim had filmed herself.

The interview was packed with lots of detail about the confrontation, the search and rescue plus the history of Mrs Halloran’s incidents with bikers destroying walls and fences and letting her cows out. There were descriptions of the bikers and their vehicles and some strong quotes to be had.

Examiners said most candidates did a good job of outlining the story and included plenty of biographical details about Mrs Halloran, her family and that she was a strong woman who was prepared to confront anyone doing anything wrong.

However they said many candidates failed to adopt a strong line of questioning to find out about the contents of the video footage, while some failed to do the basics – i.e. check spellings of names. “It is unforgivable to get the name of the victim wrong, especially the surname,” said the examiners’ report.

News Report

Candidates: 74
Passed: 48
Pass rate: 65pc

The news report focused on the topical issue of high-profile companies being forced into administration, using the fictional example of a holiday resort called Sea Dunes.

However the examiners said that while the subject was a common scenario in today’s economic climate, many candidates had little knowledge, or even awareness, of what happens when companies are no longer profitable.

“Candidates continued to find the news report exam tough, with some experiencing problems with their shorthand note because of a tendency to take a verbatim note rather than listening and noting the essentials for the story,” said the examiners’ report.

“Surprisingly, considering the story was for a local paper, a large number of candidates made no reference to the family behind the business – something the examiners considered essential.”

Newspaper Practice

Candidates: 65
Passed: 52
Pass rate: 80pc

The newspaper practice exam sets out to see if candidates have a good understanding of media law and ethics and how they impact on their work as journalists. It also examines reporters’ ability to think about the wider issues of modern journalism and not just the immediacy of breaking news.

The examiners said the exam produced “a good set of results with a number of high-scoring candidates.”

“It was gratifying to see the majority of candidates had a good grasp of media law and how it works in practice…tthere were many excellent answers to the questions that tested mainly knowledge of covering court and defamation, issues that are an everyday occurrence for reporters,” said the report.

However the examinders also highlighted some instances of candidates muddling defamation and contempt and a number who thought that the right of reply must be offered to gain the defence of qualified privilege.

Logbooks

Candidates: 53
Passed: 51
Pass rate: 96pc

Presentation in the logbooks section of the exam, in which candidates submit a selection of their work, continued to be of a very high standard, said the examiners.

“A solid pass rate has underlined the fact that candidates, despite the increased pressures of the current working environment, are rising to the challenge, and shows what a broad range of skills they possess and that they can express this through their logbook,” said the report.

However they also highlighted numeracy as an area which can cause issues for some candidates who were advised to make sure that their stories show clear evidence of being able to handle figures and interpret statistics.

And writing to pictures is another area where candidates need to think carefully about the criteria when preparing their submission, said the report.