Withdrawn

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2014-05, “Preparation 

and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” 

dated April 29, 2014, has been withdrawn.

 

ADAMS Accession Number: ML14042A493

See Federal Register notice 81 FR 31969, dated 

May 20, 2016
ML14042A493

UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION 

OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS 

WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 

April 29, 2014 

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2014-05 

PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING OF 

OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS

ADDRESSEES

All holders of, or applicants for, a power reactor operating license or construction permit under 

Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of 

Production and Utilization Facilities,” except those that have certified that they have 

permanently ceased operations and fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor 

vessel. 

All holders of, or applicants for, a power reactor early site permit or a combined license under 

10 CFR Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.” 

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 on the estimated number of applicants 

planning to take operator licensing examinations and the NRC’s generic fundamentals 

examinations (GFEs). This information will help the NRC to use its resources more effectively. 

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 

Subpart E, “Written Examinations and Operating Tests,” of 10 CFR Part 55, “Operators’ 

Licenses,” contains the relevant NRC regulations. In particular, 10 CFR 55.40, 

“Implementation,” permits nuclear power reactor facility licensees to prepare, proctor, and grade 

the written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41, “Written Examination: Operators,” and 

10 CFR 55.43, “Written Examination: Senior Operators,” subject to certain conditions. Under 

10 CFR 55.40, facility licensees may also prepare the NRC-administered operating tests 

required by 10 CFR 55.45, “Operating Tests.” Under 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 examinations and operating tests. 

In RIS 2013-06, “Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” dated 

June 7, 2013, the NRC asked power reactor licensees to voluntarily submit proposed schedules 

of examinations they intended to prepare and to estimate the number of applicants to be tested 

for onsite examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2015 through 2018. This RIS 

 
RIS 2014-05 

Page 2 of 4 

requests that licensees voluntarily update examination schedules and applicant estimates for 

CYs 2016 through 2019. 

SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE 

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

approve, administer, and document a licensee prepared examination. The number of 

examinations administered by licensees fluctuates annually. Consequently, the NRC has found 

it helpful to request an annual update of the operator licensing examination needs of power 

reactor facility licensees. 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, the NRC requests that licensees evaluate their response to this RIS in this light, 

particularly for the later years. The update should include an estimate of the number of 

applicants to be examined and should indicate if the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exam. 

In their responses, those utilities not planning to construct a new plant should consider the 

impact of licensed operators moving between utilities to fill the anticipated openings in the 

future. 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 using NRC Form 536, 

“Operator Licensing Examination Data” (NRC Form 536 is available on the NRC Web site at 

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

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 2016 through 2019. 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 the licensee specifies otherwise. 

Joint NRC and licensee examination development is permitted and should be coordinated with 

the NRC regional office. You should notify the applicable NRC regional office, by letter, of any 

required schedule changes that arise after submission of your RIS response for agreement to, 

and coordination of, changes to examination administration. 

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 the examination. If you are requesting more than one 

examination per CY, fill in the applicable columns as appropriate through CY 2019. 

C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule

Estimate by month the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs 2016 and 2017. 

As the industry has requested, the NRC now administers the GFE four times per 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. 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 responses electronically. 
RIS 2014-05 

Page 3 of 4 

BACKFITTING AND ISSUE FINALITY 

This RIS requests the addressees to inform the NRC of the dates and number of operator 

licensing examinations and the NRC's generic fundamentals examinations in CY 2016-2019 

and whether the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exams. The 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 request contained in this RIS is strictly 

voluntary. Therefore, this RIS does not represent backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50, 109(a)(1), 

nor is it otherwise inconsistent with any issue finality provision in 10 CFR Part 52. 

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 contains information collections 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 (OMB), approval number 3150-0131. The burden to the public for 

these information collections 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. 

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 2014-05 

Page 4 of 4 

CONTACT

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

/RA/ /RA/ 

Michael C. Cheok, Director Lawrence E. Kokajko, Director 

Division of Construction Inspection Division of Policy and Rulemaking 

 and Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Office of New Reactors 

Technical Contacts: John McHale, NRR Michael Junge, NRO 

301-415-3254 301-415-7745 

E-mail: john.mchale@nrc.gov E-mail: michael.junge@nrc.gov

Donald Jackson, RI Malcolm Widmann, RII 

610-337-5306 404-997-4550 

E-mail: donald.jackson@nrc.gov E-mail: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov

Hironori Peterson, RIII Eugene Guthrie, RII 

630-829-9707 404-997-4662 

E-mail: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov E-mail: eugene.guthrie@nrc.gov

Vincent Gaddy, RIV 

817-200-1159 

E-mail: vincent.gaddy@nrc.gov
RIS 2014-05 

Page 4 of 4 

CONTACT

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

/RA/ /RA/ 

Michael C. Cheok, Director Lawrence E. Kokajko, Director 

Division of Construction Inspection Division of Policy and Rulemaking 

 and Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Office of New Reactors 

Technical Contacts: John McHale, NRR Michael Junge, NRO 

301-415-3254 301-415-7745 

E-mail: john.mchale@nrc.gov E-mail: michael.junge@nrc.gov

Donald Jackson, RI Malcolm Widmann, RII 

610-337-5306 404-997-4550 

E-mail: donald.jackson@nrc.gov E-mail: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov

Hironori Peterson, RIII Eugene Guthrie, RII 

630-829-9707 404-997-4662 

E-mail: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov E-mail: eugene.guthrie@nrc.gov

Vincent Gaddy, RIV 

817-200-1159 

E-mail: vincent.gaddy@nrc.gov

ADAMS Accession No.: ML14042A493 TAC MF3469 * concurred via e-mail 

OFFICE OLA:IOLB:DIRS Tech 

Editor* 

C:IOLB:DIRS DD:DIRS C:COLB:DCIP:NRO* PMDA* 

NAME CRevelle QTE JMcHale AHowe 

(CErlanger for) 

MJunge LHill 

DATE 02/19/14 02/24/14 03/21/14 03/26/14 03/28/14 03/19/14 

OFFICE OIS OE* OGC* LA:PGCB:DPR PM:PGCB:DPR C:PGCB:DPR 

NAME KBenney GGulla HBenowitz CHawes JKeene SStuchell 

DATE 04/08/14 03/19/14 04/14/14 04/16/14 04/17/14 04/17/14 

OFFICE D:DCIP:NRO DD:DPR DD:DPR 

NAME MCheok SBahadur LKokajko 

DATE 04/24/14 04/25/14 04/29/14 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY