The BSJ Bachelor of Journalism qualifying and entrance examination tests a broad range of journalism fundamentals — from the technical craft of writing a breaking news story to the legal boundaries that protect and constrain journalists. Whether you are applying to a BSJ program, sitting a departmental qualifying exam, or preparing for a journalism aptitude assessment, targeted practice is the most effective preparation strategy.
This free BSJ practice test PDF covers all major knowledge areas evaluated in journalism entrance and qualifying exams: news writing structure and style, media law and ethics, journalism history and major figures, photojournalism and multimedia, investigative reporting techniques, and program admissions standards. Every question in this PDF reflects the type of content tested in real BSJ assessments.
For interactive online practice with immediate feedback, explore our bsj practice test page and run full timed mock exams before your actual exam date.
The cornerstone of any journalism entrance exam is news writing craft. The inverted pyramid structure — most important information first, background and detail below — is the foundational format of straight news writing. Exams test your ability to identify the strongest lead from a set of facts, reorganise a poorly structured story, and recognise when narrative or feature structures are appropriate alternatives.
The lead (or lede) is the most tested element. A strong hard-news lead answers the most critical of the 5Ws and H (who, what, when, where, why, how) in 25–35 words and contains no unnecessary attribution. Exam questions may ask you to rewrite a buried lead, identify the news peg, or select the lead that best captures the story's significance.
AP Style is the industry standard tested across virtually all journalism programs. You must know AP rules for dates (abbreviating months with six or more letters), titles (capitalise formal titles before a name only), numbers (spell out one through nine, use numerals for 10 and above), and state abbreviations in datelines. AP rules on courtesy titles, composition titles, and punctuation inside quotation marks are also common exam targets.
Journalistic attribution — using "said" as the default attribution verb, placing attribution after the first sentence of a quote, and handling anonymous sources — is tested in both multiple-choice and short-answer formats. Editing skills such as identifying active vs. passive voice, eliminating redundancy, and correcting common grammar errors round out the news writing section.
Media law is one of the most exam-intensive areas for BSJ candidates. Defamation law covers the distinction between libel (written) and slander (spoken), the elements required to prove defamation (false statement of fact, publication, identification, fault, and damages), and the landmark New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) actual malice standard for public figures. Exam questions frequently present scenarios where you must determine whether a story is defamatory and why.
Shield laws protect journalists from being compelled to reveal confidential sources in court. Not all states have shield laws, and no federal shield law exists. Exam questions test knowledge of which types of information and sources are protected, the balancing test courts apply, and the difference between absolute and qualified privilege. The Branzburg v. Hayes (1972) Supreme Court decision — which held that the First Amendment does not give reporters a privilege to refuse grand jury subpoenas — is a required case.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state open records laws are tested as practical investigative tools. You need to know what categories of records are exempt from FOIA requests (classified national security information, personal privacy records, law enforcement investigative files), how to file a request, typical response timelines, and how to appeal a denial. Privacy torts — intrusion, false light, appropriation, and public disclosure of private facts — are also regularly tested alongside First Amendment defences.
BSJ qualifying exams test knowledge of journalism history from the colonial press through the digital era. Key figures include Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania Gazette), Ida B. Wells (anti-lynching investigative journalism), Nellie Bly (undercover reporting and stunt journalism), Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst (yellow journalism and the Spanish-American War), and Edward R. Murrow (broadcast journalism and McCarthy-era courage).
Landmark moments include the Pentagon Papers (1971) and the New York Times Co. v. United States prior restraint case, Watergate and the Woodward-Bernstein model of source protection, and the emergence of citizen journalism and social media in the 2000s. The history of press freedom — from the Zenger trial (1735) to the Pentagon Papers to digital surveillance concerns post-Snowden — provides context for contemporary media law questions.
The evolution of journalism ethics standards is also tested: the founding of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and its Code of Ethics (seek truth, minimize harm, act independently, be accountable), the rise of the ombudsman model, and debates over native advertising and sponsored content all appear in BSJ exam content.
Investigative journalism sections of BSJ exams test methodology: building a document trail, using FOIA requests strategically, cross-referencing public records (court filings, campaign finance disclosures, property records, corporate registrations), cultivating and protecting confidential sources, and structuring a long-form investigation. You should be familiar with the concept of a document-based investigation vs. a source-based investigation and when each approach is appropriate.
Data journalism fundamentals — reading a spreadsheet, identifying statistical errors in press releases, and understanding margin of error in polls — are increasingly tested in BSJ aptitude exams. You should be able to identify when a percentage change, a raw number, or a rate per 100,000 is the most meaningful statistic to use in a story.
BSJ program admissions typically require a 3.0+ GPA, a writing portfolio of 3–5 published or class clips, a personal statement explaining your journalism focus, and letters of recommendation. Some programs administer a journalism aptitude test that assesses grammar and style knowledge, news judgment (selecting which story is most newsworthy), and basic media law comprehension. This PDF covers all components of that aptitude content.
Download the PDF above and simulate real exam conditions: set a timer, work through every question without references, then score your results and review the answer explanations for every question you missed. Focus your remaining prep time on the two or three topic areas where you scored lowest. Combine PDF mock exams with online timed practice tests for the best possible BSJ exam outcome.