Withdrawn

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2008-16, “Preparation 

and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” 

dated June 27, 2008, has been withdrawn.

 

ADAMS Accession Number: ML081160148

See Federal Register notice 81 FR 31969, dated 

May 20, 2016
 UNITED STATES 

 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION 

 WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 

 June 27, 2008 

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2008-16

PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING OF 

 OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS

ADDRESSEES

All holders of operating licenses and applicants 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, as well as 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 use its resources. 

This RIS requires no action or written response on the part of addressees. Addressee actions to 

collect and transmit the information requested are strictly voluntary. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 55.40 (b), AWritten Examinations 

and Operating Tests,@ permits nuclear power facility licensees to prepare, proctor, and grade the 

written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41, AWritten Examination: Operators,@ and 

10 CFR 55.43, AWritten Examination: Senior Operators,@ provided that they satisfy certain 

conditions. Under 10 CFR 55.40, facility licensees are also permitted to prepare the NRCadministered operating tests required by 10 CFR 55.45, AOperating Tests.@ Pursuant to 10 CFR 

55.40(c), facility licensees that choose not to prepare their own examinations and operating tests 

must request in writing that the NRC prepare the examination and the operating tests. 

In RIS 2007-17, APreparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,@ dated 

July 12, 2007, the NRC asked facility licensees to submit proposed schedules of examinations 

that they intended to prepare and estimate the number of applicants to be tested in site 

examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2008 through 2011. 

ML081160148
RIS 2008-16 

Page 2 of 4

The objective of this RIS is to update examination schedules and applicant estimates for CYs 

2009 through 2011 and add an estimate for CY 2012. 

SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE

The NRC uses about twice as many resources to prepare an examination as to review, approve, 

administer, and document a facility-prepared examination. The 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. Moreover, with the anticipated number of new operator positions that will 

need to be filled for new plants, the differences in upcoming years could be significant. 

Therefore, we request that you evaluate your response to this RIS in this light, particularly for the 

latter years. For those utilities that are not planning to construct a new plant, your response 

should consider the impact of licensed operators moving between utilities to fill the many 

anticipated openings in the future. 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 is requesting that each licensee provide the following information on NRC Form 536, 

AOperator Licensing Examination Data@ (enclosed): 

A. Proposed Examination Preparation Schedule 

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

will request the NRC to prepare during CYs 2009 through 2012. For examinations that facility 

licensees will prepare, 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 CY, split the applicable column or use additional forms as necessary to cover all 

the examinations through CY 2012. 

C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule 

 

Estimate by month the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs 2009 and 2010. 

As requested by the industry, the NRC now administers the GFE four times a year. 

VOLUNTARY RESPONSE

The NRC asks addressees choosing to submit the information requested in NRC Form 536 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/. Direct your response to the U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and 

send a copy of the response to the applicable regional office. You may submit RIS responses 

electronically. 
RIS 2008-16 

Page 3 of 4

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 and, therefore, is not a backfit under 10 CFR 50.109, ABackfitting.@ 

Consequently, the NRC staff did not perform a backfit analysis. 

 

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION 

The NRC did not publish in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity for public comment on 

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

the voluntary submission of information on the part of addressees. 

CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT 

This RIS is not a rule as designated by the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C.''801-808) and 

therefore, is not subject to the Act. 

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS concerns 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 Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) Clearance No. 3150-0131, which expires on August 31, 

2008. 

The NRC estimates that the public reporting burden for this voluntary information collection on 

NRC Form 536 will 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 on any aspect of this information 

collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Records and FOIA/Privacy 

Services Branch (T-5F53), 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, an 

information collection unless the requesting document displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 
RIS 2008-16 

Page 4 of 4

CONTACT

Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below. 

 /RA by MMaxim for/ 

Michael J. Case, Director 

Division of Policy and Rulemaking 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 

Technical Contacts: Nancy L. Salgado, NRR Michael Junge, NRO 

 301-415-2942 301-415-7745 

 email: nancy.salgado@nrc.gov email: michael.junge@nrc.gov 

 Samuel Hansell, RI Malcolm Widmann, RII 

 610-337-5046 404-562-4550 

 email: samuel.hansell@nrc.gov email: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov

 

Hironori Peterson, RIII Ryan Lantz, RIV 

630-829-9707 817-860-8158 

email: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov email: ryan.lantz@nrc.gov

 

 

Enclosure: NRC Form 536, AOperator Licensing Examination Data@
RIS 2008-16 

Page 4 of 4

CONTACT

Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below. 

 /RA by MMaxim for/

Michael J. Case, Director 

Division of Policy and Rulemaking 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 

Technical Contacts: Nancy L. Salgado, NRR Michael Junge, NRO 

 301-415-2942 301-415-7745 

 email: nancy.salgado@nrc.gov email: michael.junge@nrc.gov 

 Samuel Hansell, RI Malcolm Widmann, RII 

 610-337-5046 404-562-4550 

 email: samuel.hansell@nrc.gov email: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov

 

 Hironori Peterson, RIII Ryan Lantz, RIV 

 630-829-9707 817-860-8159 

 email: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov email: ryan.lantz@nrc.gov

Enclosure: NRC Form 536, AOperator Licensing Examination Data@

DISTRIBUTION: 

RIS File 

ADAMS ACCESSION NO. ML081160148

OFFICE IOLB:DIRS TECH EDITOR C:IOLB:DIRS D:DIRS C:COLP:DCIP:NRO D:DCIP:NRO 

NAME CAHart QTE (HChang) NLSalgado FBrown MJunge GTracy 

DATE 05/01/2008 04/29/2008 05/20/2008 05/21/2008 05/27/2008 05/27/2008 

OFFICE D:DORL OE OGC (NLO) OGC (CRA) PMDA OIS

NAME TMcGinty GGulla SUtall NSanchez LHill GTrussell 

DATE 06/06/2008 06/10/2008 06/13/2008 06/06/2008 06/16/2008 06/23/2008 

OFFICE LA:PGCB:DPR PGCB:DPR BC:PGCB:DPR (A)D:DPR

NAME CHawes AMarkley MMurphy MMaxim for 

MCase 

DATE 06/24/2008 06/25/2008 06/25/2008 06/27/2008

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Enclosure 

RIS 2008-16 

Page 1 of 1