Protecting People and the EnvironmentUNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
August 7, 1981
TO ALL LICENSEES OF OPERATING PLANTS AND APPLICANTS FOR OPERATING LICENSES
AND HOLDERS OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS
Gentlemen:
Subject: Simulator Examinations (Generic Letter 81-29)
Item I.A.3.1 of NUREG-0737, Clarification of TMI Action Plan Requirements,
stated that simulator examinations will be included as part of the licensing
examinations. The clarification involved a deferral of simulator examination
requirements until after October 1, 1981 (or prior to fuel load for
operating license applicants). Further, it was indicated that simulator
examinations should be scheduled consecutively with the balance of the
examination but that an allowance of up to two weeks is acceptable for any
scheduling differences.
The staff requests that you furnish, within sixty (60) days of this letter,
your schedule of exams for the remainder of calendar year 1981 and all of
1982. Please include the number of candidates, their type (Operator or
Senior Operator), the date of the simulator exam, the simulator which will
be utilized, and the dates of the balance of the examinations. The schedule
should be forwarded to P. F. Colline, Chief, Operator Licensing Branch,
Division of Human Factors Safety.
The staff also wishes to provide the following additional clarification and
guidelines for the conduct of simulator exams:
1. Simulator exams will generally consist of two applicants and two
examiners. One applicant will assume a supervisory role. The exam will
last 2-3 hours and involve at-power manipulations and concurrent
malfunctions.
2. Plants without simulators may be granted waivers of the two-week
allowance in scheduling simulator and plant examinations on a case-by-
case basis, providing sufficient justification exists.
3. Applicants for a senior license, who hold a valid operator's license,
will be required to take a simulator exam.
4. Simulators used for an examination must be NSSS specific.
.
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This request for information was approved by OMB under a blanket clearance
number 3150-0071 which expires December 31, 1982. Comments on burden and
duplication may be directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Reports
Management Room 3208, New Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503.
Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director
Division of Licensing
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
