Accuracy, news sense and shorthand emerged as some of the ‘key problem areas’ in November’s National Qualification in Journalism exam.

The thrice-yearly exam resulted in a pass rate of 61pc with 43 candidates qualifying as seniors.

Candidates had to pass each of the four sections in the exam – media law and practice, news report, news interview and logbook.

Here is a summary of the chief examiner’s report on how the candidates performed in each section.

MEDIA LAW AND PRACTICE

Candidates: 60
Passed: 45
Pass rate: 75pc

The question, based on a recent IPSO adjudication, concerned a road accident in which a pupil was injured outside her school, and what the dangers would be in reporting it.

Such a report would need to comply with Clauses 3 (privacy), 5 (intrusion into grief or shock) and 6 (children) of the Editors’ Code of Practice.

The examiners said:  “To have a good chance of passing this exam trainees must have good law knowledge and understanding of ethics, but that is not enough if they cannot apply that to the questions.

“Since Leveson, the impact of ethics on the media has never been greater and journalists must not only be conversant with the code but also with how the Independent Press Standards Organisation, to which the majority of the press is signed up to, is adjudicating on complaints.”

NEWS REPORT

Candidates: 68
Passed: 44
Pass rate: 65pc

The section featured a story about a local woman who had discovered a notebook, discarded by Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

It contained a letter and the author’s notes about a woman who witnessed a murder by Jack the Ripper and identified the culprit, and was now set to make the woman £1m at auction.

The report said: “It was disappointing how many candidates failed to pick up sufficiently on the good human interest story of a local woman set to become a millionaire. Instead the majority of candidates were keener to identify Jack the Ripper.”

Examiners identified accuracy, news sense and shorthand as the key problem areas. Candidates were advised to improve their shorthand, read over their answers and work on developing practical follow-up ideas.

NEWS INTERVIEW

Candidates: 59
Passed: 43
Pass rate: 73pc

The news interview concerned a dramatic story about a millionaire businessman, Jason Blackwell, who was killed when his light aircraft crashed on his way home from making wedding plans in France.

There were good quotes provided in the statements from Jason’s mother and fiancée and also speculation about why the plane crashed; was it a fault or human error?

The examiners said:  “Many candidates started with a dramatic intro but some did not mention who the victim was until the second or third paragraph. He was a prominent businessman in the area so he needed to be in the intro.

“Some did include the background information about Jason’s business which gave the story a more rounded read. However, there are still issues with accuracy, resulting from either poor shorthand or insufficient time dedicated to checking copy before the end of the exam.”

LOGBOOK

Candidates: 56
Passed: 53
Pass rate: 95pc

Examiners praised the November logbook submissions as demonstrating a clear understanding of what was required in the compilation of this category.

“There were some excellent examples of work which showcased the current participants. All key tasks were handled well and there were no major issues to report with regard to the standard of submissions,” said the report.

“However there was again the issue of a few candidates failing to upload either a cutting or original copy for their key tasks, leading to duplicated submissions.

“Candidates are urged to double-check to ensure they have the correct elements for all the key tasks. As always we encourage any candidate who encounters issues compiling their logbook to speak to their editor/trainer or to the NCTJ. We will be happy to give advice.”