NCTJ QUALITY ASSURANCE ANDSTANDARDS COMMITTEE

ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16

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The NCTJ quality assurance and standards(QA&S) committee has been operational since2007. It meets annually, or more frequently whenrequired, to oversee quality, standardisation andfairness across all qualifications and services. Areas considered, monitored and discussed by thecommittee include: • standardisation – moderation, centre spot checks, results analysis • customer service – centre and candidate feedback, complaints • equal opportunities • reasonable adjustments and special considerations • appeals • suspected malpractice and maladministration • compliance with Ofqual, CCEA (Northern Ireland) and Qualification Wales’ general conditions of recognition • emerging trends and/or issues.

Committee membership is drawn from representativesof different sectors delivering NCTJ qualificationsalong with industry professionals, the NCTJ principalexaminer and members of the NCTJ seniormanagement team. It is chaired by an independentrepresentative appointed by the NCTJ main board ofdirectors. The post is currently held by Mr SeanDooley, former editor of The Sentinel, Stoke-on Trent.This report is compiled to help explain the work ofthe committee, and to share some of the data itexamines, reviews and debates, to ensure thereliability and transparency of NCTJ services.

Qualification results analysisDiploma in Journalism 2015-16During 2015-16, 8286 diploma examinations(excluding shorthand) have been sat (including resits).This figure is 1588 sittings down from 2014-15.Overall achievement figures for the year September2015 to July 2016 inclusive have been tabled belowfor each module of the Diploma in Journalism.

Introduction

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Well over half of the exams marked in each module have been awarded the industry gold standard of anA-C grade, with the overall majority achieving an E grade or above. In 2015-16, almost 74 per cent of candidatesachieved the gold standard compared with 66 per cent in 2014-15. Ninety six per cent of candidates achievedA-E grades in 2015-16 compared with 93 per cent in 2014-15.E-portfoliosIn the academic year from 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016, 1071 e-portfolios have been submitted forassessment. Of these submissions, 1004 were awarded the industry gold standard of an A-C grade.Shorthand examsA total of 4538 shorthand examinations have been sat (including resits) and the achievement figures for the yearhave been tabled below.

In 2015-16, 33 per cent achieved 100wpm, the same achieved in the previous year. Overall, the percentagepass rate for students achieving a shorthand speed of 60wpm or over decreased by one percentage point from40 to 39 per cent.

Number of passes

7005243015614257

1843

Pass rate

52%42%39%47%33%36%35%

41%

Speed wpm

60708090100110120

Total no. of exam sittings

Number of sittings

1359123110132

18346920

4538

Diploma in Journalism (exam sittings) results summary 2015-16

Total no. of exam sittings 8286

Exam No. of sittings Gold standard (A-C) A-E pass rateReportingEssential public affairsEssential media law and regulationCourt reportingSports journalismProduction journalismBusiness of magazinesVideojournalismBusiness and financeBroadcast journalism – TV newsBroadcast journalism – radio newsBroadcast journalism – regulation

169815731797135536678813031711818882

1092103310849342736571062657706363

64%66%60%69%75%83%82%84%64%86%72%77%

168614321621123235977912831511818082

99%91%90%91%98%99%98%99%100%100%91%100%

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National Qualification in Journalism 2015-16 (NQJ)During 2015-16, 216 candidates sat 752 NQJ examinations and assessments from November 2015 toJuly 2016 (including resits).

A total of 216 candidates sat the NQJ in 2015-16 and 70 per cent achieved the qualification, an increase ofthree percentage points compared to 2014-15.

Number of passes

149151156161

617

Pass rate

78%74%85%94%

83%

NQJNews interviewNews report

Media law and practiceLogbook

Total no. of exam sittings

Number of sittings

191205184172

752

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AppealsThe NCTJ publishes its policy and procedure fordealing with appeals on its website. The policycovers appeals of assessment results andappeals relating to other decisions made bythe NCTJ.A total of 11 appeals were formerly investigatedduring 2015-16, a decrease of six on the 2014-15figures.

Appeals of assessment resultsAll of the appeals concerned individual candidateresults. A total of 10 assessment results werereviewed on appeal and three were upheld leadingto an increase in the grade awarded.

All other appealsThere were no other appeals received by the NCTJin 2015-16.

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The NCTJ publishes its policy and procedure fordealing with cases of suspected malpracticeand/or maladministration by centre and candidateson its website.During the academic year 2015-16, ten suspectedmalpractice or maladministration cases wereinvestigated. This is one more than the numberreported/investigated in 2014-15.Six of the cases involved alleged malpractice ormaladministration by centres and four were related toallegations of cheating by candidates. Sanctions wereapplied to one centre with three different cases ofmalpractice or maladministration. In these cases, allexams were declared null and void and investigationscarried out. Ongoing spot checks continued tomonitor the centre. The other four centres involved incases were instructed to carry out investigations andto produce compulsory action plans to secure againstfurther cases of maladministration. Cases of centre-based maladministration have beenas a result of a breach of NCTJ procedures, mainlyrelating to the following:

• allowing candidates who have not been entered for an exam to sit NCTJ examinations • sitting the wrong exam paper (production) due to an IT errorThere were three cases of candidates allegedlycheating and, following investigations, two candidateswere prohibited from taking exams for six months and

only being allowed to sit in future under close andindividual invigilation. The other case proved to haveinsufficient evidence and was closed.The NCTJ takes reports of suspected malpractice ormaladministration extremely seriously. Each incidentinvestigated is reviewed by the quality assurance andstandards committee. Any sanctions applied inaccordance with the NCTJ sanctions policy, which ispublished on the NCTJ website, are also reviewed toensure a fair and consistent approach is taken toeach case.

ComplaintsThe NCTJ publishes its policy and procedure fordealing with complaints on its website.15 complaints have been received by the NCTJ in2015-16, an increase of four compared to 2014-15.Seven of the complaints made to the NCTJ in 2015-16related to candidates’ dissatisfaction with theircentres. Three complaints related to NCTJadministrative processes where lessons were learnt.Three complaints related to the NQJ with twoconcerning the conduct of the exams at centres andthe third relating to the eligibility criteria. Twocomplaints related to dissatisfaction with assessmentresults.The remaining complaint received concerned anapplicant unhappy with not being shortlisted for theJournalism Diversity Fund (JDF).

Suspected malpractice and maladministration

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Reasonable adjustmentsand special considerationsIn 2015-16, 82 candidates had reasonableadjustments approved for NCTJ examinationsand/or assessments. This is an increase of 13 on2014-15 figures when 69 candidates hadadjustments approved.Any adjustment that the NCTJ approves must not alterthe nature, rigour or integrity of the assessment. Anyadjustment to assessments must not give any learneran unfair advantage or disadvantage over others.In 2015-16, the greatest number of reasonableadjustment approvals made were for candidates withspecific learning needs including autism,dyslexia/dyspraxia and mental health relatedconditions.

Event notificationAs an awarding organisation the NCTJ mustpromptly notify the regulatory bodies when it hascause to believe that any event has occurred, or islikely to occur, which could have an adverse effecton learners. Examples of such events may includethose where: • there has been a loss or theft of, or a breach of confidentiality in, any assessment materials • the awarding organisation believes that there has been an incident of malpractice or maladministration, which could invalidate the award of a qualification which it makes available • the awarding organisation has issued incorrect results or certificates

• the awarding organisation is named as a party in any criminal or civil proceedings or is subjected to a regulatory investigation or sanction by any professional, regulatory, or government bodyThe NCTJ made two notifications to Ofqual in 2015-16of potential adverse effects. Twenty-one candidates sat an 80wpm shorthandexamination at Brighton Journalist Works on 26November 2015. The NCTJ’s chief examiner forshorthand examinations informed the quality andassessment manager on 7 December that she hadnoted an exceptionally high pass rate of 90 per centfor these candidates and found further evidence witha candidate’s exam script that the integrity of theexam may have been compromised.The second notification concerned the same centre.The centre notified us on 18 December 2015 of anadditional suspected case of malpractice by threecandidates sitting an NCTJ essential public affairsexamination. Following the centre’s investigation andthe NCTJ’s own investigation, the NCTJ decided theresults could not be published on the due date as theywere unreliable. The centre did not adhere to theNCTJ’s conditions of examinations and candidateswere sitting too closely together in the exam room.29 candidates were informed and offered theopportunity to re-sit the exam at the centre’s expense. Sanctions were applied. The status of the centre’saccreditation was reviewed and clause 12.1 of theNCTJ’s centre agreement to temporarily remove NCTJaccreditation from courses at Brighton JournalistWorks was evoked. The centre failed to meet itsobligations under the agreement to meet the industrystandard in terms of the professional delivery of NCTJexams. The remaining exams for the academic yearwere held under supervision of NCTJ representatives.

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