ML20056A170

Advises That Written Licensing Exams Scheduled on 901119 & Operating Licensing Exams Scheduled on 901120.Preliminary Applications Should Be Submitted at Least 30 Days Prior to Exam Date to Review Training & Experience of Candidates

ML20056A170
Person / Time
Site:	Cooper
Issue date:	07/30/1990
From:	Collins S NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	Trevors G NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT
References
NUDOCS 9008060022
Download: ML20056A170 (10)

Text

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A 301960 A,

in Reply Refer To:

Docket: 50-298 i

Nebraska Public Power District ATTH: George A. Trevors, Senior Staff Advisor - Nuclear Power Group P.O. Box 499-Columbus, Nebraska 68602-0499 i

f Gentlemen:

SUBJECT:

LICENSING EXAMINATIONS AT COOPER NUCLEAR STATION ~

In a telephone conversation between Mr. Robert Creason of your staff and Mr. John Pellet, NRC Chief Examiner, arrangements were made for the administra-r tion of licensing examinations at Cooper Nuclear Station.

The written examinations are scheduled for November 19, 1990.. The operating l

examinations are scheduled for Novermber 20,.1990.

To meet the above schedule, it will be necessary for you to furnisn the reference material ~ listed in Enclosure 1, " Reference Material Requirements.for Reactor /

Senior Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations," by September 19, 1990 fAny delay intreceiving approved, properly bound and indexed reference material or the submittal of inadequate or' incomplete reference material may result in the i

examination being-rescheduled. Mr. Creason has been advised of our reference material requirements and the address where each set of reference material is to be mailed.

You are responsible for providing adequate space and accomodations for admini-stration of the written examinations. ' Enclosure 2, " Requirements' for Administra-tion of Written Examinations," describes our requirements for conducting these examinations. Mr. Creason has also been informed of-these requirements.

t contains the NRC Rules and Guidelines that will be in effect during the administration of the written examination.. The facility management is responsible'for ensuring that all applicants are aware of these rules.

The facility staff review of the written examinations will be~ conducted inL

-accordance-with requirements specified in Enclosure 4 " Requirements for i

Facility Review of-Written Examinations." Mr. Creason has been informed of these requirements.

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To document simulator examinations' effectively, the Chief Examiner will have the simulator operator record predetermined plant conditions-(e.g.,. plant pressure,. temperature, pressurizer level, etc.) for each simulator. scenario.

The applicants will be responsible for providing this information with any appeal of simulator operating exami tion.- Therefore, your training staff.

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Nebraska Public Power District 1 should retain the original simulator examination scenario information until all applicants who took examinations have passed the operating examination, accepted the denial of their license, or filed an appeal.

Preliminary reactor operator and senior reactor operator license applications should be submitted to reach this office at least 30 days before the first examination date so that we will be able to review the training and experience 1

of the candidates, process the medical certifications, and prepare final i

examiner assignments after applicant eligibility has been determined.

If the applications are not received at least 30 days before the exarnination date, it is likely that a postponement will be necessary.

Final signed applications certifying that all training has been completed shall be submitted at least 14 days before the first examination date.

This request is covered by Office of Mcnagement and Budget Clearance Number 3150-0101 which expires May 31, 1992.

The estimated average burden is 7.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br /> per response, including gathering, copying and mailing the required material. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information and Records Management Branch, Division of Information Support Services, Office of Information Resources Management, U.S.

NuclearRegulatory(Commission, Washington,D.C.3150-0101),0fficeofManageme 20555; and to the Paperwork Reduction Project D.C.

20503.

l Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

If you have any questions regarding the examination procedures and requirements, please contact l

Mr. J. L. Pellet, Chief, Operator Licensing Section, at (817) 860-8159.

Sincerely, OdolnalSloned By:

Thomas P.Gwynn Samuel J. Collins, Director Division of Reactor Projects

Enclosures:

1.

Reference Material Requirements for. Reactor / Senior Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations 2.

Requirements for Administration of Written Examinations 3.

NRC Rules and Guidelines for Written Examinations 4.

Requirements for Facility Review of Written Examinations cc w/ enclosures:

(see next page) i i

V,.

Nebraska Public Power District cc w/ enclosures:

Nebraska Public Power District

' ATTH:

J. W.'Dutton, Nuclear 1

Training Manager i

. P.O. Box 499-Colunbus, Nebraska 68602-0499 i

bec'toDMB(IE42) bec distrib. by RIV:

SectionChief.(DRP/C)

R. D. Martin, RA' HIS System RIV File 4

E. Himes J. L. Pellet L. Miller, TTC DRS(J-L.PelletReadingFile) i P.O'Connor,NRRProjectManager(MS:

13-D-18) l Licensee & Debt Collection Branch, ATTN:

Leah Tremper-1

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ENCLOSURE-1 3

REFERENCE MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS.FOR REACTOR / SENIOR REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS i

i Existinglearning(objectives,JobPerformanceMeasures,studenthandouts-1.-

and lesson plans including training manuals, plant orientation manual, system descriptions, reactor theory, thermodynamics, etc.).

i A copy of the facility Job and Task Analysis (JTA), s)ecifying the l

knowledges and abilities required of an operator at tie facility. Each l

particular knowledge and/or ability will inclu:le an importance rating correlating it to ensuring the health and safety of the public.

If a JTA Plant Operators, NUREG.1122 (ges and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power is not furnished, the Knowled 1123) will be used to establish content validity for the examination.

All Job Performance Measures (JPMs) used to ascertain the competence of the operators in performing tasks within the control room complex and,_as identified in the facility'JTAs, outside of the control room, i.e., local operations.

Training materials shall include all subs?.antive written material'used for preparing applicants for initial R0 and SR0 licensing. The written material shall include-learning objectives and the' details presented ~

during lectures, rather than outlines. Training materials shall be identified by plant and unit, bound, and-indexed. FAILURE-TO PROVIDE COMPLETE, PROPERLY B0UND AND INDEXED PLANT REFERENCE. MATERIAL MAY: RESULT.

IN THE RETURN OF THE MATERIAL TO THE PERSON WHO'IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF l'

CORPORATE MANAGEMENT WHO IS RESPONSIBLE:FOR PLANT OPERATIONS,(E.G.,'VICE l

-PRESIDENT OF HUCLEAR OPERATIONS). ACCOMPANYING THE MATERIAL WILL BE A l

COVER LETTER EXPLAINING THE DEFICIENCIES IN THE REFERENCE MATERIAL AND l

THE FACT THAT THIS WAS THE REASON THE EXAMINATIONS WERE CANCELLED OR POSTPONED. Training materials which include the following shall be provided:

l System descriptions including descriptions of allroperationally L

relevant flow paths, components, controls. and instrumentation.

i System training material should draw parallels to the actual procedures'used for operating the applicable system, g

Complete and operationally useful descriptions of all safety-system interactions and, where available, BOP. system interactions under emergency and abnormal conditions, including consequences ofL anticipated operator error, maintenance error, and equipm%t Tailure.

-l Training material used to clarify and strengther, understanding of emergency operating-procedures.

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CompleteProcedureIndex(includingsurveillanceprocedures,etc.)

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All administrative procedures (as applicable to. reactor operation or safety) 4 Allintegratedplantprocedures(normalorgeneraloperatingprocedures) 5.

Emergency procedures (emergency instructions, abnormal or special procedures)

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Standingorders(importantordersthataresafety-relatedandmay l

supersede the regular procedures) 7.

Surveillance procedures (procedures that are run frequently, i.e., weekly l

or that can be run on the simulator) 8.

procedura,whenappropriate)gprocedures,-(initialcore-loading Fuel-ho d ing and core-loadin 9.

All annunciator / alarm procedures

10. Radiationprotectionmanual(radiationcontrolmanualorprocedures)-

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11. Emergency plan implementing procedures

12. Technical Specifications (and interpretations, if available) for all l

units for which licenses are sought

13. System operating procedures 14 Piping and instrumentation diagrams, electrical. single-line diagrams, or.

flow diagrams

15. Technical Data Book, and/or plant curve information as used by operators and facility precautions, limitations, and setpoints (PLS) for the facility

16. Questions and answers specific to the facility training program which may-be used in the written or operating examinations-(voluntary by facility licensee)

17. Additional material required by the examiners to develop examinations that

.i meet the requirements-of NUREG If cator Licensing Examiner Standards and the regulations.

.The above reference material shall bc

. final issues and'shall,be so marked. -If a plant has not finalize the material, the Chief ~ Examiner shall verify with the: facility-that ti omplete, up-to-date material is available and that agreement has been r u... with the licensee for limiting changes before the administration of the examination. All procedures and reference material shall be bound with appropriate indices or tables of contents so that they can be used efficiently. Failure to provide complete, properly bound and indexed plant reiference material:could result in cancellation or rescheduling of the examinations.

,y ENCLOSURE 2 REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMINISTRATION OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS 1.

A single room shall be~provided for administration of the written examination.

The location of this room and supporting restroom facilities shall be such as_to prevent contact with all other facility and/or contractor personnel during the written examination.

if necessary, the facility should make j

arrangements for the use of a suitable room at a local school, motel, or other bntiding. Obtaining this room is the responsibility of the licensee.

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Minimum spacing is required to ensure examination integrity _as determined l

by the Chief Examiner. Minimum spacing should be one applicant per table, with a 3-foot space between tables.

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Suitable arrangements shall be made by the facility if the applicants are i

to have lunch, coffee, or other refreshments. These arrangements shall comply with item 1 above and shall be reviewed by the examiner and/or proctor.

4.

The facility licensee shall, provide pads of 8 1/2-by 11-inch lined paper in unopened packages for each a)plicant's use in completing the examination..

The examiner shall distribute taese pads to the applicants.

5.

Applicants may bring pens, pencils, calculators, or slide rules into the examination room. Only black ink or dark pencils should be used for writing answers to questions.

6.

The licensee shall provide one set of steam tables for each applicant.-

The proctor shall distribute the steam tables to the applicants. No wall charts, models, and/or other training materials shall be present in the 1

examination room. No other equipment or reference material shall be allowed unless provided by the proctor.

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ENCLOSURE 3 1

PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF WRIT.EN EXAMINATIONS 1.

. Check identification badges.

2.

Pass ut examinations and all handouts.

Remind applicants not to review examination until instructed to do so.

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS VERBATIM:

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During the administration of this examination the following rules apply:

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Cheating on the examination means an automatic denial of your application l:

and could result in more severe penalties, i

2.

After'the examination has been completed,-you must sign the statement on I

the cover sheet indicating that the work is your own and you have not received or given assistance'in completing the examination. This must be done af ter you complete the examination.

PEAD THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

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Restroom trips are to be limited and only one applicant at a time may leave. You must avoid all contacts with anyone outside the examination room to avoid even the appearance or possibility of cheating; 2.

Use black ink or dark pencil only to facilitate legibic reproductions.

3.

Print your name in the blank provided in the upper right-hand corner of the examination _ cover sheet and each answer; sheet.

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4.

Mark your answers on the answer sheet provided. USE ONLY THE PAPER PROVIDED AND DO NOT WRITE OH-THE BACK SIDE OF THE PAGE.

5.

Before you turn in your examination, consecutively number each answer sheet, including any additional pages inserted when writing your answers on the examination question page.

6.

Use abbreviations only_if they are commonly used in facility ~ literature.

. Avoid using symbols such as _ or _ signs to avoid a simple transposition error:resulting in an incorrect answer.. Write it out.

7.

The point value for each question is indicated in parentheses after the question.

8.

Show all: calculations, methods, or assumptions used to obtain an answer

.to any short answer questions.

9.

Partial credit may be given except on multiple choice questions.

Therefore, ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION AND-00 NOT LEAVE ANY ANSWER m

BLANK.

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10. Proportional grading will be applied. Any additional wrong information that is provided may count against=you.

For example, if a question is worth one point and asks for four responses, each-of which is worth 0.25 points, and you give five responses, each of your responses will be worth 0.20 points.

If one of your five responses is incorrect, 0.20 will be

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deducted and your total credit for that question will be 0.00 instead of 1.00 even though you got the four correct answers.

11.. If the intent.of a question is unclear, ask questions of the examiner only.

12. When tw ling in your examination, assemble the completed examination with examination questions,_ examination aids and answer sheets.

In addition, turn in all scrap paper.

13. Ensure all information~you wish to have evaluated as part of your answer is on your answer sheet. Scrap paper will be disposed of immediately following the examination.

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14. To pass the examination, you must' achieve a grade of 801 or greater.

15. There is a time limit.of four (4) hours for completion of the examination.

16. When you -are done and have-turned in your examination, leave the examination area (DEFINE THE AREA). _If you are found in this area while the examination is still in progress, your license may be denied or revoked.

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QCLOSl!RE4 RE0ll!REMENTS FOR FACILITY REVIEW OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS 1.

At the option of the Chief Examiner, the facility may review the written examination up to two weeks prior to its administration. This review may 1

take place at the facility or in the Regional office. The review will be conducted using the same material sent to the NRC for examination generation purposes. The Chief Examiner will coordinate the details of the review with the facility. An NRC examiner will always be available during the review.

Whenever this option of examination review is' utilized, the facility reviewers shall sign the following statement prior to being allowed access i

to the examination. The examination or written notes will not be retained by the facility.

a.

Pre-Examination Security Agreement I

acknowledge that I have acquired specialized j

knowledge concerning the examination scheduled for at as of the date of spy signature below.

1 agree c

that I will not knowingly divulge any information concerning this examination to any unauthorized persons.

I understand that I am not to perticipate in any instruction involving those applicants scheduled to be administered the above examination from this date until after the examination has been administered.

I further understand that violation of the conditions of this agreement may result in the examination beino cancelled and/or enforcement action against myself or the f acility 'iicensee by whom I am employed or represent.

i Signature /Date p addition, the facility staff reviewers will sign the following-t uatement after the written examination has been administered, b.

Post-Examination SecLrity Agreement I

did not, to the best of sqy knowledge, divulge any information concerning the examinations administered during the week of at to any unauthorized t

persons. I did not participate in providing any instruction to those applicants who were administered the examination from the date I entered into this security agreement until the completion of examination administration.

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Regardless of whether the above examination review option is exercised, imediately following the administration of the written examination, the facility staff shall be provided a marked up copy of the examination and i

the answer key. The copy of the written examination shall include pen and ink changes made to questions during the examination.nministration.

If the facility did not review the examination prior to its administration, i

they will have five (S) working days from the day of the written examination to submit formal coments.

If the facility reviewed the examination prior to its administration, any additional coments must be given to an examiner i

prior to his/her leaving the site at the end of the week of the written J

examination administration.

In either case, the coments will be addressed to the responsible Regional office by the highest level of corporate managenent for plant operations, e.g., Vice President for Nuclear Operations.

A copy of the submittal will be forwarded to the Chief Examiner, as i

appropriate. Conenents not submitted within the required time frame will be considered for inclusion in the grading process on a case-by-case basis by the Regional Office Section Chief.

Should the coment submittal deadline not be met, a long delay in grading the examinations may occur.

3.

The following format should be adhered to for submittal of specific comments:

a.

Listing of NRC auestion, answer and refe ence b.

Facilicy coment/t ecomendation c.

Reference (to support facility comment) l NOTES:

1.

No change to the examination will be made without submittal of I

a reference to support the facility coment. Any supporting documentation that was not previously supplied, should be i

i provided.

P.

Coments made without a concise facility recommendation will not be addressed.

4.

A two hour post-examination review may be held at the discretion of the Chief Examiner.

If this review is held, the facility staff should be' informed that only written comments that are properly supported will be considered in the grading of the examination.

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