NCTJ Introduces Online Story Test

Reporters taking exams with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) will be required to write a story for a website for the first time next month.

Journalists undertaking the body’s National Certificate Examination (NCE) from September will have to compose a news item to be published immediately on the Web using facts and comments gleaned from written information and a mock interview.

The news interview element of the NCE previously asked candidates to write a story intended for publication in the next day’s newspaper, but the NCTJ has introduced the change to reflect newsroom activities across the UK.

NCTJ journalism chief examiner Steve Nelson commented: “This evolvement of the news interview section recognizes the changing newsroom practices and presents candidates with the opportunity to write in a slightly different style to that normally required in the NCE.”

In addition, Nelson asserted: “I am confident that candidates will easily adapt to this new requirement.”

The NCE is open to journalists who have been working for at least two years and is assessed by both portfolio submission and examinations.

Further details on this story can be found at the website of the NCTJ.