ML20203G107

Informs of Decision Not to Permit Administration of Initial Licensed Operator Exams at Unit 1 Currently Scheduled for Wk of 971215.Written Exam Contains Technical Inaccuracies, Implausible Distractors & Multiple Correct Answers

ML20203G107
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	12/02/1997
From:	Wiggins J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Sylvia B NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP.
References
NUDOCS 9712180047
Download: ML20203G107 (3)

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Decernber 2,1997 Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia Executive Vice President Generation Business Gtoup and Chief Nuclear Officer Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Nuclear Learning Center 450 Lake Road Oswego, NY 13126

SUBJECT:

NINE MILE POINT UNIT 1 EXAMINATION DENIAL

Dear Mr. Sylvia:

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our decision te not permit the administration of the initiallicensed operator examinations at Unit 1 currently scheduled for the week of December 15,1997- We reached this finding as a result of an acceptance review conducted by Region i staff of the proposed examination materials submitted by your staff on November 19,1997. Our review, conducted using the Examiner Standards as a guide, determined that while the sample plan submitted earlier in the developmental process was found to be acceptable, significant deficiencies existed in all parts of the actual examination.

Our review of the simulator scenarios found them deficient because they lacked details regarding the actions expected of the applicants. We found the written examination to contain a number of technical inaccuracies, implausible distractors, and multiple correct answers, in addition, the written test was judged to be at a low cognitive level, and it was not clear that the questions were tied to learning objectives. The draft walkthiough portion of the examination consisting of the Job Performance Measures, questions, and the administrative section of the examination was not commented on by my staff because we understand your staff identified a potential duplication of examination materials with the recently administered audit examination.

Our next available opportunity to conduct initial license excminations at your f acility is the //

week of January 20,1998. This date will require that a fully acceptable final examination p that meets the sample plan be submitted to the regional office no later than December 22, 1997, if you cannot supply a fully acceptable examination by December 22,1997, the next available window for examination administration is the week of March 16,1998.

Should you have any comments, please contcct Mr. Glenn Meyer at (610) 337-5211 or Mr. Carl Sisco of my staff at (610) 337-5076.

Sincerely, 1 '; q r o "7

~'"" ORIGINAL SIGNED BY: / [,,b James T. Wiggins, Director p Division of Reactor Safety

Docket Nos. 50 220 9712190047 971202 g a. **s n W @

PDR ADOCK 05000220 V PDR

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A-Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia 2 ,

.cc w/ enclosure:-

R. Abbott, Vice President & General Manager - Nuclear C. Terry, Vice President. Safety Assessment and Support J. Cunway, Vice President - Nuclear Engineering K. Dahlberg, Vice President Nuclear Operations D. Wolniak, Manager, Licensing J. Warden, New York Consumer Protection Branch

'G. Wilson, Senior Attorney M. Wetterbahn, Winston and Strawn J. Rettberg, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation P. Eddy, Director, Electric Division, Department of Public Service, State of New York -

C. Donaldson, Esquire, Assistant Attorney General, New York Departrnent of Law J. Vinquist, MATS, Inc.

F. Valentino, President, New York State Energy Research

. and Development Authority J. Spath, Program Director, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority 9

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- Mr. B. Ralph Sylvia 3 Distribution w/ encl:

D. Screnci, PAO Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

PUBLIC -

NRC Resident inspector R. Gallo, NRR G. Meyer, DRP L. Doerflein, DRP C. Sisco, Dr' 7; T. Mostak, DRP R. Junod, DRP Distribution w/ encl: (VIA E MAIL)

K. Kennedy, RI EDO Coordinator B. Norris - Nine Mi!e Point S. Bajwa, NRR D. Hood, NRR M. Campion, Rl Inspection Program Branch (IPAS)

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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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