Withdrawn

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2016-09, “Preparation 

and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,”

dated June 16, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML16116A275), has been withdrawn and superseded by 

RIS 2017-03 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17025A240).

 
OMB Control No.: 3150-0131 

ML16116A275 

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION 

OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS 

WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 

June 16, 2016

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2016-09 

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 have permanently removed all fuel 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 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 plan its resources more effectively. 

This RIS supersedes in its entirety RIS 2015-05, “Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing 

Examinations,” and 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 2015-05, “Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” dated 

April 20, 2015 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession 
RIS 2016-09 

Page 2 of 4 

No. ML15062A568), the NRC asked power reactor licensees to submit voluntarily proposed 

schedules of examinations they intended to prepare, and to estimate the number of applicants to 

be tested for on-site examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2017 through 2020. This 

RIS requests that licensees voluntarily update initial examination schedules for CYs 2018 through 

2021, and due to the change in the GFE administration frequency effective with CY 2017, update the GFE 

estimates for CYs 2017 and 2018. 

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 responses to this RIS considering these factors, 

particularly for the later years. The update should estimate 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 effect 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 attached, and is available on the 

NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/.)

A. Proposed Examination Preparation Schedule 

Licensees should estimate the number of examinations they intend to prepare, and the number 

of examinations they will request the NRC to prepare during CYs 2018 through 2021. 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. Licensees should notify the applicable NRC 

regional office, by letter, of any required schedule changes that arise after submission of the 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 requesting more than one 

examination per calendar year, fill in the applicable columns, as appropriate, through CY 2021. 

C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule 

Previous to CY 2017, the GFE was given four times per year—in March, June, September, and 

December. Beginning in CY 2017, the GFE will be given two times a year—in March and 

September. Estimate by month the number of applicants planning to take the GFE in CYs 2017 

and 2018. 
RIS 2016-09 

Page 3 of 4 

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 responses 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. Responses may be submitted electronically. 

BACKFITTING AND ISSUE FINALITY

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

operator-licensing initial examinations for CY 2018–2021 and the NRC's generic fundamentals 

examinations in CY 2017 and 2018, as well as 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 for this RIS or 

further address the issue finality criteria in Part 52.

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION

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

this RIS because it concerns 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 defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 801-808). 

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.). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved these 

information collections, 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 nor 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 2016-09 

Page 4 of 4 

CONTACT 

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

/ra/ /ra/ 

Michael C. Cheok, Director Louise Lund, Director 

Division of Construction Inspection Division of Policy and Rulemaking 

 Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 

Office of New Reactors 

Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, 

http://www.nrc.gov, under NRC Library/Document Collections. 

Technical Contacts: Maurin Scheetz, NRR Michael Junge, NRO 

301-415-2758 301-415-7745 

E-mail: maurin.scheetz@nrc.gov E-mail: michael.junge@nrc.gov

Donald Jackson, RI Gerald McCoy, RII 

610-337-5306 404-997-4551 

E-mail: donald.jackson@nrc.gov E-mail: gerald.mccoy.@nrc.gov

Robert Orlikowski, RIII Eugene Guthrie, RII 

630-829-9834 404-997-4662 

E-mail: robert.orlikowski@nrc.gov E-mail: eugene.guthrie@nrc.gov

Vincent Gaddy, RIV 

817-200-1159 

E-mail: vincent.gaddy@nrc.gov 
RIS 2016-09 

Page 4 of 4 

CONTACT 

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

/ra/ /ra/

Michael C. Cheok, Director Louise Lund, Director 

Division of Construction Inspection Division of Policy and Rulemaking 

 Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 

Office of New Reactors 

Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, 

http://www.nrc.gov, under NRC Library/Document Collections. 

Technical Contacts: Maurin Scheetz, NRR Michael Junge, NRO 

301-415-2758 301-415-7745 

E-mail: maurin.scheetz@nrc.gov E-mail: michael.junge@nrc.gov

Donald Jackson, RI Gerald McCoy, RII 

610-337-5306 404-997-4551 

E-mail: donald.jackson@nrc.gov E-mail: gerald.mccoy.@nrc.gov

Robert Orlikowski, RIII Eugene Guthrie, RII 

630-829-9834 404-997-4662 

E-mail: robert.orlikowski@nrc.gov E-mail: eugene.guthrie@nrc.gov

Vincent Gaddy, RIV 

817-200-1159 

E-mail: vincent.gaddy@nrc.gov 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML16116A275 *via email TAC No. MF7614

OFFICE OLA:IOLB:DIRS Tech Editor* C:IOLB:DIRS* C:COLB:DCIP: 

NRO* 

D:DIRS:NRR* D:DORL:NRR* 

NAME CRevelle QTE MScheetz,Acting MJunge SMorris 

(SHelton for) 

ABoland 

(EBenner for) 

DATE 04/25/2016 04/29/2016 05/06/2016 05/05/2016 05/11/2016 05/06/2016 

OFFICE MA:PMDA:NRR* OCIO OE* OGC LA:PGCB:DPR PM:PGCB:DPR*

NAME LHill DCullison NHilton 

(GGulla for)

HBenowitz ELee ASchwab 

DATE 05/06/2016 05/25/2016 05/12/2016 06/02/2016 06/03/2016 06/01/2016 

OFFICE C:PGCB:DPR D:DCIP:NRO D:DPR:NRR 

NAME SStuchell 

(TMensah for) 

MCheok LLund 

DATE 06/07/2016 06/07/2016 06/16/2016 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY