Withdrawn

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2003-14, “Preparation 

and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” 

dated August 27, 2003, has been withdrawn.

 

ADAMS Accession Number: ML032370311

See Federal Register notice 81 FR 31969, dated 

May 20, 2016
OMB Clearance no.: 3150-0131

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

August 27, 2003

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2003-14

PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING OF 

OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS

ADDRESSEES

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power reactors, except those who have

permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed

from the reactor vessel. 

INTENT

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this regulatory issue summary (RIS)

to inform addressees of the NRC staff’s need for updated information on projected site-specific

operator licensing examination schedules and estimated numbers of applicants planning to take

operator licensing examinations and the NRC’s generic fundamentals examinations (GFEs). 

This information will help the NRC to more effectively plan the use of its resources. This RIS

requires no action or written response on the part of addressees. Any action on the part of

addressees to collect and transmit the information noted herein is strictly voluntary. 

BACKGROUND

On April 23, 1999, the NRC published a notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 19868) amending

10 CFR Part 55, “Operators’ Licenses,” to allow nuclear power facility licensees to prepare,

proctor, and grade the written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41 and 55.43, provided

certain conditions are satisfied. The amendment also allows facility licensees to prepare the

NRC-administered operating tests required by 10 CFR 55.45. Pursuant to 10 CFR 55.40(c),

facility licensees that elect not to prepare their own examinations and operating tests must

request in writing that the examination and operating tests be prepared by the NRC.

Regulatory Information Summary (RIS) 2002-09, “Preparation and Scheduling of Operator

Licensing Examinations,” issued June 6, 2002, requested that facility licensees submit

proposed schedules of examinations that they intended to prepare and to estimate the number

of applicants to be tested in both site examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2003

through 2006. This RIS supercedes RIS 2002-09; the objective is to update examination

schedules and applicant estimates for CYs 2004 through 2006, and add an estimate for

CY2007. 

ML032370311
RIS 2003-14

Page 2 of 4

SUMMARY OF ISSUE

Facility-developed and NRC-developed examinations call for significantly different resource

commitments on the part of the NRC. Experience has shown that the NRC can review,

approve, administer, and document a facility-prepared examination utilizing approximately half

the resources it takes to prepare for an NRC-prepared examination. This fact, coupled with

year-to-year fluctuations in the total number of examinations, significantly impacts the NRC

resources needed to accommodate licensees’ requests for exams. Consequently, the NRC has

found it helpful to request an annual update of power reactor facility licensees’ initial operator

licensing examination needs. This update should include an estimate of the number of

applicants to be examined and whether the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exam. This

information will help the NRC budget and schedule its resources. The NRC regional offices will

continue to coordinate specific examination dates with the training managers of affected facility

licensees.

The NRC is requesting that each licensee provide the following information using NRC

Form 536, “Operator Licensing Examination Data” (Attachment 1):

A. Proposed Examination Preparation Schedule 

Estimate the number of examinations you intend to prepare and estimate the number of

examinations you will request the NRC to prepare during CYs 2004 through 2007. For

examinations that are prepared by facility licensees, the NRC will assume that each

examination includes the required outline, written examination(s), and operating test(s), unless

otherwise specified (shared examination development is permitted and should be coordinated

with the appropriate NRC regional office). 

B. Initial Operator License Examinations 

 

For each desired examination, estimate the number of applicants to be tested and enter the

proposed primary and alternate dates of examination. If you are requesting more than one

examination per calendar year, split the applicable column or use additional forms, as

necessary, to cover all the examinations through CY 2007. 

C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule 

 

Estimate the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs 2004 and 2005 by

examination month. As requested by the industry, the GFE will be administered 4 times yearly

starting in CY 2004.
RIS 2003-14

Page 3 of 4

VOLUNTARY RESPONSE

Addressees that choose to submit the information identified in NRC Form 536 are asked to do

so within 30 days after receipt of this RIS. NRC Form 536 is available on the NRC Web site at 

 Http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/. It may be filled out, printed, and mailed,

but cannot be saved or submitted electronically at the present time. Your response should be

directed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk,

Washington, DC 20555-0001, and a copy of the response should be sent to the applicable

regional office.

BACKFIT DISCUSSION

This RIS requires no action or written response. Any action on the part of addressees to collect

and transmit operator licensing examination data in accordance with the guidance contained in

this RIS is strictly voluntary. Therefore, this is not a backfit under 10 CFR 50.109, and the staff

did not perform a backfit analysis.

 

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION

A notice of opportunity for public comment on this RIS was not published in the Federal

Register because it pertains to an administrative aspect of the regulatory process that involves

the voluntary submission of information on the part of addressees.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS contains a voluntary information collection that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This voluntary information collection is covered by the

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance number 3150-0131, which expires on

July 31, 2005. The public reporting burden for this voluntary information collection (NRC

Form 536) is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing

instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and

completing and reviewing the information collection. Send comments regarding this burden

estimate to the Records Management Branch (T-6 E6), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet electronic mail to bjs1@nrc.gov, and to the Desk

Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202 (3150-0131), Office of

Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.

Public Protection Notification

If a means used to impose an information collection does not display a currently valid OMB

clearance number, the NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, the information collection. 
RIS 2003-14

Page 4 of 4

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the technical contacts listed

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation project manager. 

/RA/

William D. Beckner, Chief

Reactor Operations Branch

Division of Inspection Program Management

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: David C. Trimble, NRR Richard J. Conte, RI

 301-415-2942 610-337-5183

 E-mail: dct@nrc.gov E-mail: rjc@nrc.gov

 Michael E. Ernstes, RII Roger D. Lanksbury, RIII

 404-562-4638 630-829-9631

 E-mail: mee@nrc.gov E-mail: rdl@nrc.gov

 Anthony T. Gody, RIV

 817-860-8159

 E-mail: atg@nrc.gov

Attachments:

1. NRC Form 536, “Operator Licensing Examination Data”

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Regulatory Issue Summaries
RIS 2003-14

Page 4 of 4

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the technical contacts listed

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation project manager. 

/RA/

William D. Beckner, Chief

Reactor Operations Branch

Division of Inspection Program Management

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: David C. Trimble, NRR Richard J. Conte, RI

 301-415-2942 610-337-5183

 E-mail: dct@nrc.gov E-mail: rjc@nrc.gov

 Michael E. Ernstes, RII Roger D. Lanksbury, RIII

 404-562-4638 630-829-9631

 E-mail: mee@nrc.gov E-mail: rdl@nrc.gov

 Anthony T. Gody, RIV

 817-860-8159

 E-mail: atg@nrc.gov

Attachments:

1. NRC Form 536, “Operator Licensing Examination Data”

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Regulatory Issue Summaries

Distribution:

ADAMS

RIS File

ADAMS ACCESSION NUMBER: ML032370311 *See previous concurrence

DOCUMENT NAME: C:\ORPCheckout\FileNET\ML032370311.wpd

OFFICE IROB:DIPM Tech Editor SC:IOHS:IROB:DIPM IROB:DIPM

NAME EEBarnhill* PKleene* DCTrimble* CDPetrone*

DATE 08/01 /2003 07/28/2003 08 /01/2003 07/30/2003

OFFICE OGC SC:OES:IROB:DIPM C:IROB:DIPM

NAME RWeismann* TReis WDBeckner

DATE 08 /22 /2003 08/27/2003 08/27/2003

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Attachment 1

RIS 2003-14

Page 1 of 1
______________________________________________________________________________________

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit

Attachment 2

RIS 2003-14

Page 1 of 1

LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Regulatory Issue Date of 

 Summary No. Subject Issuance Issued to

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2003-13 NRC Review of Responses to

Bulletin 2002-01, “Reactor

Pressure Vessel Head

Degradation and Reactor Coolant

Pressure Boundary Integrity”

07/29/2003 All holders of construction permits

or operating licenses for nuclear

power reactors except those who

have permanently ceased

operations and have certified that

fuel has been permanently

removed from the reactor vessel.

2003-12 Clarification of NRC Guidance for

Modifying Protective Actions

06/24/2003 All holders of operating licenses

for nuclear power reactors, except

those who have permanently

ceased operations and have

certified that fuel has been

permanently removed from the

reactor vessel.

2003-11 Reporting Requirements for

Distributors of Devices Subject to

the General License Requirements

of 10 CFR 3.5

07/16/2003 All licensees authorized to

distribute devices containing

byproduct material under

10 CFR 32.51, or equivalent

Agreement State regulation.

2003-10 Licensed Operator Requalification

Training: Written Examination

Frequency

06/13/2003 All holders of operating licenses

for nuclear power reactors and

test and research reactors, except

those who have permanently

ceased operations and have

certified that fuel has been

permanently removed from the

reactor vessel. 

Note: NRC generic communications may be received in electronic format shortly after they are

issued by subscribing to the NRC listserver as follows:

To subscribe send an e-mail to <listproc@nrc.gov >, no subject, and the following

command in the message portion:

subscribe gc-nrr firstname lastname