Elimination of National Examination Schedule for Operator Licensing

                                 UNITED STATES
                         NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                     OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
                         WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555-0001

                                 March 6, 1997


NRC ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER 97-02:  ELIMINATION OF NATIONAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
                                  FOR OPERATOR LICENSING


Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power
reactors.  

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this administrative
letter to inform addressees that the National Examination Schedule for
operator licensing has been eliminated.  No specific action or written
response is required.  

Background

In Generic Letter (GL) 89-03, "Operator Licensing National Examination
Schedule," March 24, 1989, the NRC issued its first National Examination
Schedule and asked licensees to submit estimates of the number of candidates
requiring examination.  Subsequent generic and administrative letters have
updated this process to allow the NRC to coordinate the utilization of
contract resources on a national basis.

Discussion

In SECY-96-206, "Rulemaking Plans for Amendments to 10 CFR Part 55 to Change
Licensed Operator Examination Requirements," the NRC described its initiative
to require licensees of power reactor facilities to prepare operator licensing
examinations in order to eliminate NRC contract support in this area.  

In light of the proposed program and resource changes, described in SECY-96-
206, the NRC is cancelling the use of the National Examination Schedule.  The
NRC regional offices and the facilities in their regions will schedule dates
for operator licensing examinations on a case-by-case basis.  Training
managers are encouraged to contact their NRC regional office before starting a
license training class to advise the NRC regional office when an operator
licensing examination needs to be held.  The NRC regional office will
coordinate requests for examination dates, consistent with NRC resources, with
the training managers of affected licensees.   

NRC Form 536, "Operator Licensing Examination Data," previously used to
solicit input to the National Examination Schedule, is discontinued.


9703040281.
                                                            AL 97-02
                                                            March 6, 1996
                                                            Page 2 of 2


This administrative letter requires no specific action or written response. 
If you have any questions about this letter, please contact one of the
technical contacts listed below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation project manager.  


                                          signed by 

                                       Thomas T. Martin, Director 
                                       Division of Reactor Program Management
                                       Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation



Contacts: Stuart Richards, NRR         Jay Lennartz, RIII
          (301) 415-1031               (708) 829-9721
          E-mail: sar@nrc.gov          E-mail: jal@nrc.gov

          Glenn Meyer, RI              John Pellet, RIV
          (610) 337-5211               (817) 860-8159
          E-mail: gwm@nrc.gov          E-mail: jlp@nrc.gov

          Thomas Peebles, RII
          (404) 331-5541
          E-mail: tap@nrc.gov