NRRPT

[Sixxdogg]

I have just started studying for the NRRPT exam.  I purchased the RadWare study cd and plan on using it in conjunction with reference text.  For those who have taken the exam, is the exam HEAVY in calculations/formulas?

Thanks
J. Harris

[Bonds 25]

No....but I can tell you that 12 techs I work with (including myself) took the week long study course, plus we put in countless hours of preparation the week following and ABSOLUTLY NOBODY passed.  Study up on X-Ray machines.....and mammograms.....and thats correct, not X-Rays themselves......but X-Ray machines.  Out of the 150 questions there was ONE on actual Radiation decay (Following an Alpha decay the daughter product will have a __ difference in Atomic weight)  Basically the whole NRRPT was a waste of my time and not only my money, but also my company's money. They have seemed to make this test WAY TOO hard.  The good thing.....nothing changes with my current job  

[thenukeman]

Should pass if can do calculations on Radware disk, NRRPT I was done in 45 minutes, CHP 1 on the other hand I passed but was hard.
My NRRPT was about 15 percent calculations be my guess, not over 20 percent.

[RAD-GHOST]

NUF/NEU & DOE CORE tests are pretty much a series of canned question with canned answer.

NRRPT questions are usually more compound and required the application of a variety of factors.

CHP...No pedigree so I can't get an invitation....

RG

[Bonds 25]

How about the NUF/NEU, or the DOE core?

Too hard or about right?

The NUF/NEU is child's play compared to the NRRPT I just took....even the instructor said he is glad he took it years ago.  The NRRPT had very few questions based around Commercial or DOE....and since 1. I work at a Commercial Nuclear Power Plant and 2. I dont get anything for passing (besides my name on a plaque) I will not be wasting my time again.  One and Done.....hopefully 

[mostlyharmless]

My test was not heavy with math . Do know about x-ray machines. And a little about x-rays. The test was hard for me because I prepped a lot on math. Use the material the NRRPT recommends . The material here is good. You must understand the basic principles and why different detectors behave the way they do. Study 10CFR. Get the math for NRRPT provided by the NRRPT, it comes with the application acceptance. Its worth doing. I learned a lot getting ready for the test.MH

[Smart People]

I remember about 15 math questions. but they could be time consuming. I understand that the NRRPT is different every year and focus changes. Mine was heavy on medical and DOE and transportation as I remember. Mike Davidson gave a great class that prepared me with an overall idea and materials for study.

[stownsend]

I remember about 15 math questions. but they could be time consuming. I understand that the NRRPT is different every year and focus changes. Mine was heavy on medical and DOE and transportation as I remember. Mike Davidson gave a great class that prepared me with an overall idea and materials for study.

Math about the same as above. The  thing I remember the most about it was everything needed to be converted.If the answer they wanted was in microcuries they gave you dpm,if they wanted cubic feet they gave you cubic meter etc.If you were doing the math and you did something wrong such as divide instead of multiplying the answer was there. I remember two part questions where I was 100% on the first part but unsure about the second part was the hardest for me. They had several questions on what regs cover shipments,OSHA,FEMA so look at the numbers of CFR's at least once.You would have to be pretty sharp to do that test in 45min. I think it took me 2 1/2 hours but I wasn't the first or last out.They always put a long drawn out question up front,do a brain dump on all the questions you can answer in 60 seconds then go back after the long ones,then do the math etc. This was sugested to me by a CHP and it helped.There will be several you don't know but do not leave them blank .20% is better than 0%. Good Luck

[Smart People]

I can say it didn't take me the whole 4 hrs to finish the test. 3hrs and 57mins and I was out of there!!

[stormgoalie]

I remember about 15 math questions. but they could be time consuming. I understand that the NRRPT is different every year and focus changes. Mine was heavy on medical and DOE and transportation as I remember. Mike Davidson gave a great class that prepared me with an overall idea and materials for study.

+1 on Mike's class!  Took it and found it very informative, especially on particle accelerator health physics (which my version of the NRRPT was heavy on).  Passed on first try.

[spentfuel]

I have just started studying for the NRRPT exam.  I purchased the RadWare study cd and plan on using it in conjunction with reference text.  For those who have taken the exam, is the exam HEAVY in calculations/formulas?

Thanks
J. Harris

No the one I took in the early 90's was not.  Other than a few stay time calcs and one or two decay questions it was mainly on the various regs including at that time both part 20's.  I never had to use a calculator most were guessable.  Took about 1.5 hours to pass

sf

[stownsend]

I never had to use a calculator most were guessable.  

airsample counted for 4 minutes equals 130 cps using a instrument with a eff of 32% it has a 30 sec half life and the volume was 3 cubic meters. Please tell me the original activity. Remember no calculator allowed.

[thenukeman]

Okay 30 seconds is 8 half lifes in 4 minutes so 8 half lifes about .5 percent left so original cpm so add 2 zeros to 130 and multiply by 2 so original count 26000 efficency 32 percent so times 3 = 78000 dpm. 3 cubic meters = 3000 ml  so 26 dpm per ml oh u want microcuries per ml 26 close to 22 so 22 divided by 2.2E6 dpm = 1 E-5 Posting now, Thats why done in 45 minutes, Most answers on NRRPT are moron answers so easy to choose, Spent Fuel right about 90's test that easy!!!!!
Posting now lets see what calculator says, in a minute. maybe I am the moron and forgot  getting old u know!!!!

[thenukeman]

Okay .5 to the 8 power is .0039 1 over X = 256 x 130=33280 .32 1 over x = 3.125  so 3.125  times 33280 = 104000 dpm  104000 divided by 3000ml = 34.66 dpm per ml 34.66 divided by 2.22E6 = 1.5 e-5  about 3 minutes on this. thats in microcuries per ml

[RDTroja]

Okay 30 seconds is 8 half lifes in 4 minutes so 8 half lifes about .5 percent left so original cpm so add 2 zeros to 130 and multiply by 2 so original count 26000 efficency 32 percent so times 3 = 78000 dpm. 3 cubic meters = 3000 ml  so 26 dpm per ml oh u want microcuries per ml 26 close to 22 so 22 divided by 2.2E6 dpm = 1 E-5 Posting now, Thats why done in 45 minutes, Most answers on NRRPT are moron answers so easy to choose, Spent Fuel right about 90's test that easy!!!!!
Posting now lets see what calculator says, in a minute. maybe I am the moron and forgot  getting old u know!!!!

Thanks for playing, but not quite.

3 cubic meters  = 3,000,000 ml -- not 3,000. Being off by a factor of 1,000 might get you into regulatory space.

[thenukeman]

my bad
 Im getting old
Havent been doing these for awhile your right, I am ashamed!!!  LOL  

They may take my NRRPT and CHP 1 away because of this!!!  The title of TheNukeman also!!!

Maybe I redeeem My self and say both of us wrong!!  now what does 3 cubic meters equal.   1.442 meters cubed so each side of that meter is 1442 millimeters or that cubed is 3 E9 Milliliters.  Knocking cobwebs off.    

[grantime]

They may take my NRRPT and CHP 1 away because of this!!!  The title of TheNukeman also!!!

luckily as long as you (and I)do the CE's and pay the dues they wont make us take either again

[Bonds 25]

+1 on Mike's class!  Took it and found it very informative, especially on particle accelerator health physics (which my version of the NRRPT was heavy on).  Passed on first try.

I guess the point I was trying to make is.....they have made the test extremely hard compared to tests that were given previous years.  I took Mike's class and scored an 86 on the final 150 question practice test (remember around 70 is passing).....however the material that I was given during the week long class did very little in preparing me for THIS TEST.  The 12 other people who also took the class and test will 100% agree.  Dont get me wrong...I loved the class, and I learned A LOT of new things, but until it becomes a requirement for my job, I dont plan on going through that again.

[RAD-GHOST]

Bonds 25,

If you learned a lot of new things in the one week REFRESHER course, you obviously weren't ready to take the test!

RG...

[Bonds 25]

The class we took was not a refresher course....it was a 40 hour preparation course.  Lets just put it this way, with the material I was given, the instruction of what is normally on the test and the ~40 hours of constant study following the class, I was as prepared as I possibly could be.   So is it normal that the individuals (12) that took the class and test along with me, plus the other 6 people we knew at the exam.....to ALL fail?  BTW thats 18 out of ~25 people who took the test at the same time (we didn't know any of the other ~7 people)  The class instructor after my final practice exam score of 86 said....and I quote "you are good to go...flying colors"

Also I took this with individuals who have previously taken the exam (this being the 3rd time for a couple) and they said this test was many, many times harder than the previous NRRPT exams they have taken.  I studied, I practiced and I was 100% dedicated to passing this exam.....I failed    but at least I still have my job 

[grantime]

keep in mind that the NRRPT is scored differently than most test you ever take.  There is no "standard" passing grade.  Each question is weighted separately. A panel of examiners look at each question and decide what percentage of NRRPT qualified people should get that particular question right.  So yes, your test may have be a butt kicker but the weighting of questions should have accounted for that.  If you didn't study the right material then as long as it was within the areas the NRRPT told you to study it wasn't their fault.  You have to take with a grain of salt anyone that claims that they can teach you everything you need to know in a week in order to pass the NRRPT or CHP for that matter.  No matter how good they are they are just guessing on what will be on a particular test.

You've seen it now.  That experience alone will be worth a lot if you try again.   

[AS55555]

I took the last NRRPT exam and was fortunate to pass. I was previously a RPM and had been away from RP for a few years and wanted to demonstrate I still retained the basic knowledge. I had hoped for a larger portion of the test to involve commercial nuclear power related questions but it seemed like about 1/4 to 1/3 were commercial nuclear power related. It was a very difficult test for me. I purchased study discs from 2 companies, and reviewed the Cember book. I continued to take practice tests from the discs until I consistently scored in the mid 90s so I was surprised with the difficulty of the exam. Reading the nukeworker study material was a big help. Critical to know the interaction of radiation with matter. I wish I had spent a little more time on x-ray related areas

[mostlyharmless]

Thanks Marssim, well said. The test was very hard for me. I studied for about three months while working a rotating shift. Durring a test I write down the number of any answer I feel uncertain about. At the end of one hour I had answered about 40 questions and written down eighteen numbers. I thought I was in over my head, so I just relaxed and decided to chalk the failure up to experience and prepare for next time. I was happily surprised and quite proud when the letter came to tell me I had passed. At 46 the old noggin can still tick a little. I have a mind like a steel sieve with varying size holes. Not everything falls through,though it feel like most things do.
The medical,vehicle postings and coversions were killing me. I also hate when some of the possible answers are common mistakes. Its kind of like entrapment, I think they ought to have to catch you fair and square, none of this "surprise ,I'm really a cop!" stuff. If an old geezer like me can pass it , so can all of you young cats. Don't get mad, just study harder.  MH

[studmeistersreveng]

All the studying involved is well worth it when you get the certificate in the mail!  It all depends on how bad you want it.  It took me 4 tries before I finally passed .  I learned something new after each try.  NRRPT is definitely worth having.

[thenukeman]

As55555  I did the same studied 2 disks  till I basically made 95-100 each time I took a test.  I used Gollnick or other reference material if I needed help understanding the answer.  When I took CHP 1 I had two disks with about 2200 questions.  ( I wish I did this for  NRRPT)   I just started at question 1 on each disk, If I knew the answer I would not write it down, If I did not know or was a little uneasy I would write it down, why redo questions you are good at or know the answer, waste of time, just feel good about making  higher on practice tests who cares!!!! TheN i would go back through with questions I marked, Did this about 5 times, I got down to about 50 questions I had difficulty with, Mostly Neutron Cross sections, I wrote them off since at that time I had about a month to study and studied the 95 percent I did know, I think most people would pass if they used this method.

I think not having a NRRPT hurts a Tech. Especially on unusual or hard jobs.  Not understanding what really is going on. I seen this.  I would not hire a non NRRPT over a NRRPT unless the NRRPT had a bad reputation.
  Just me, But hey I am NRRPT I am Prejudice!!!