The proportion of journalism students achieving 100 words per minute shorthand has dipped below one in five.

The National Council for the Training of Journalists has revealed that 17pc of candidates who tried for 100 wpm shorthand in 2021-22 attained the qualification, compared to 21pc in 2020-21 and 24pc in the two years prior to that.

The figures have been released in the NCTJ’s Diploma in Journalism examiners’ report, which also revealed more students are taking courses that can “make them employable in an increasingly diverse media landscape” – including videojournalism, broadcasting and sports journalism.

Shorthand was dropped as a mandatory subject for the Diploma in 2016, along with public affairs, although it is still required for students hoping to progress to the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) news pathway.

However a survey of media employers carried out by the NCTJ last year found that 82pc of them still considered shorthand to be vital, desirable or essential, while only 18pc who took part in the survey regard it as not being important.

In the current mandatory Diploma modules – essential journalism, media law, ethics and e-portfolio – the pass rates remained similar to those of 2020-21.

Of the learners taking the essential journalism exam, 52pc passed with a grade C or above in 2021-22, compared with 51 per cent in the previous year, while 64pc of candidates achieved the gold standard in essential media law and regulation – an increase of two percentage points.

Seventy per cent of candidates passed the newspaper and magazine regulation test, compared to 72pc the previous year, with 94 per cent of e-portfolio submissions gaining the gold standard – a percentage point decrease of one.

Principal examiner Amanda Ball, pictured, wrote in the report: “One of the strengths of the NCTJ diploma is the greater optionality now available to learners so that they can make themselves employable in an increasingly diverse media landscape.

“As a result, we saw an increase in candidates taking videojournalism for digital platforms, journalism for a digital audience, the broadcast journalism modules, data journalism and sports journalism in 2021-22.

“In the mandatory diploma modules, the gold standard pass rate is pleasingly comparable with previous years.”

A total of 7,794 Diploma in Journalism exams were sat during the academic year by students on both accredited and non-accredited courses, and distance learners. There were 9,019 diploma exam sittings the year before.

Amanda said: “The number of candidates taking diploma exams in 2021-22 was significantly below the number of sittings in 2020-21 but that year was an outlier with additional demand due to sizeable number of exam cancellations in 2019-20 due to the pandemic.

“Sittings in 2021-22 returned to pre-pandemic levels and, reassuringly, the pass rates remain remarkably consistent.

“The continuing success of the NCTJ diploma as an effective means of preparing learners for the workplace is also due to the hard work and commitment of tutors.

“Staff at accredited centres have faced a very challenging period due to the pandemic but remain dedicated to helping learners to achieve gold standard in their assessments.

“The 2021-22 assessment data provides clear and reassuring evidence that standards are being maintained, the employability of diploma candidates is being enhanced and that the NCTJ continues to stand for excellence in journalism.”