Withdrawn

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2004-10, “Preparation 

and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” 

dated June 14, 2004, has been withdrawn.

 

ADAMS Accession Number: ML041400040

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

June 14, 2004

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2004-10

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 the 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 NRC prepare the examination and the operating tests.

Regulatory Information Summary (RIS) 2003-14, “Preparation and Scheduling of Operator

Licensing Examinations,” issued August 27, 2003, requested that facility licensees submit

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

applicants to be tested in both site examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2004

through 2007. This RIS supersedes RIS 2003-14; the objective is to update examination

schedules and applicant estimates for CYs 2005 through 2007 and add an estimate for

CY 2008. 

ML041400040
RIS 2004-10

Page 2 of 4

SUMMARY OF ISSUE

The NRC uses about twice the resources to prepare an examination as it does to review,

approve, administer, and document a facility-prepared examination. Furthermore, the total

number of examinations administered by licensees fluctuates from year to year. Consequently,

the NRC has found it helpful to request an annual update of power reactor facility licensees’

initial operator licensing examination needs. The 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 its resources. The NRC regional offices will

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

licensees.

The NRC requests that each licensee provide the following information on 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 2005 through 2008. For

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

examination includes the required outline, the written examination, and the operating test,

unless otherwise specified (joint NRC/licensee examination development is permitted and

should be coordinated with the 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 2008. 

C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule 

 

Estimate by examination month the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs

2005 and 2006. As requested by the industry, the GFE will be administered 4 times a year

starting in CY 2004.
RIS 2004-10

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 of receiving this RIS. NRC Form 536 is available on the NRC Web site at 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/. 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 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 and involves

the voluntary submission of information by addressees.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS contains information collection requirements that are subject to the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These information collections were approved

by the Office of Management and Budget, approval number 3150-0131, which expires 

July 31, 2005. 

The burden to the public for this voluntary information collection 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 or any other aspect of these

information collections, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Records and

FOIA/Privacy Services Branch (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555-0001, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@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

The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for

information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a

currently valid OMB control number. 
RIS 2004-10

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 2004-10

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: ML041400040

OFFICE IROB:DIPM Tech Editor SC:IOHS:IROB:DIPM OES:IROB:DIPM PIMB:PMAS:NRR

NAME EBarnhill* PKleene* DCTrimble* CDPetrone* DMcCain

DATE 05/19/2004 05/18/2004 05/19/2004 05/19/2004 05/19/2004

OFFICE OCIO OGC (A)SC:OES:IROB:DIPM C:IROB:DIPM

NAME BShelton MItzkowitz CPJackson WDBeckner

DATE 05/27/2004 06/07/2004 06/09/2004 06/14/2004

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Attachment 1

RIS 2004-10

Page 1 of 1
______________________________________________________________________________________

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit

Attachment 2

RIS 2004-10

Page 1 of 1

LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Regulatory Issue Date of 

 Summary No. Subject Issuance Issued to

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2004-09 Status on Deferral of Active

Regulation of Ground-water

Protection At In Situ Leach

Uranium Extraction Facilities

06/07/2004 All holders of materials licenses for

uranium and thorium recovery

facilities.

2004-08 Results of the License Termination

Rule Analysis

05/28/2004 All holders of operating licenses

for nuclear power reactors,

research and test reactors, as well

as decommissioning sites.

2004-07 Release of Final Review Standard

(RS)-002, “Processing

Applications for Early Site Permits”

05/19/2004 All holders of operating licenses

for nuclear power reactors, all

applicants for early site permits

(ESPs), and all prospective

vendors of nuclear power plants in

the United States.

2004-06 Independent Survey of Power

Reactor Licensees

04/16/2004 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.

2004-05 Grid Reliability and the Impact on

Plant Risk and the Operability of

Offsite Power

04/15/2004 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.

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