Candidates to receive NQJ results today and chief examiner is appointed by the NCTJ

Results are being issued before 5pm today to trainees who sat the first level 6 National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) exams on Friday, 5 July.

The new NQJ was developed following a detailed industry-wide review, in response to changes in journalism, journalism training and the media, and reflects the digital skills that are revolutionising journalism.

A total of 38 trainees sat the mandatory media law, regulation and ethics exam in the NCTJ’s Cirrus online exams portal, as well as submitting their e-logbooks for marking.

To achieve the qualification, candidates must complete at least one other assessment option. Some 34 candidates sat the big news story exam and four trainees at The Guardian sat the production journalism exam. The NCTJ is working with the nine publishing partners in the Community News Project to design an assessment option for digital community reporters.

Candidates must achieve a minimum 60 per cent mark for each assessment and an overall grade of pass, merit or distinction is awarded.

Trainees can sit the exams in-house at their places of work or at NCTJ-designated external centres.

The chief examiner for the new level 6 NQJ is Andy Martin, associate editor and community ambassador for the Daily Echo Bournemouth.

Andy was a member of the NCTJ’s public affairs board in the 1990s and early 2000s and currently chairs the journalism qualifications board.

He was news editor of the Daily Echo Bournemouth between 1996 and June 2019 and editor for the past four and a half years. He is involved in Newquest’s journalism training programme and teaches public affairs at Bournemouth University.

Andy said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed chief examiner for the NQJ.

“The new qualification, taken for the first time on 5 July, completely mirrors the changing multimedia landscape and the reality of news gathering by journalists in newsrooms up and down the country.

“This is especially true of the big news story element of the NQJ, which really tests the critical skills essential for the new generation of reporters.”

Following the launch of the new qualification, the NCTJ has updated its processes for publishing NQJ exam results to bring them in-line with other NCTJ qualifications and to speed up the issuing of candidates’ results.

An NQJ report, including an analysis of the results and a summary from new chief examiner Andy Martin, will be published annually alongside the NCTJ’s quality assurance and standards committee report.

The achievements of all newly-qualified senior journalists will be celebrated with annual NQJ awards, and in the NCTJ’s annual report, which names all successful NQJ candidates.