Northeast Utilites Exam for Juniors?

[Camella Black]

Can anyone tell which utilities require the N.E.U. for Juniors and what their miniumum grade/score allowed is? I am expecially curious about the following sites:

Callaway, Palo Verde, San Onofre, St. Lucie and Robinson.

Any help will be appreciated.

[Atomic_Punk]

Camella,
I'm not sure of all the utilities that require the NEU test, but, most that I know of require a score of 70% for junior techs.  I do know that Columbia (WNP2) does NOT require juniors to take the test.
Palo Verde used to require a 70%.  I'm not sure anymore though.  Hope this helps a little.

[JnyMac]

Camella,

You can call Karen Hurley about Palo Verde.  She is the Bartlett Site Coordinator.  (623-393-3817)  She should be able to help you out.

[bhatton]

Robinson requires the Neu and a passing grade for jr's is the same as for seniors an 80.

[indoprime]

Passing score is 80. For Jr's and Sr's alike.  Bone up on reactors. 1/3 of the test is based on your knowledge of reactors. I just took it about a month ago.

[mlnevill]

I took it just a few months ago it was mostly detectors and detector theory.. it changes from site to site, depending on the instructor and how he selects the test, random or hand picked questions.

[ageoldtech]

I also took the exam a few months ago and had 28 questions on detectors. The only gime I had was which instrament is used to set stay times.

[Surveyors_mato]

Interactions.! And, with no offense intended to the supporters of this site, The study material here is VERY different from the test. Format, and language of the test are ( at least where I have taken it), nothing like what I experienced. I scored a re-do. All of the information is here yes but the presentation as I have heard from old time techs, is more like the old test format. Good for the test, bad for the Jr trying to make SR by self study.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NEXT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[hamsamich]

the information on this site was very pertaining to what was on the test.  As a matter of fact, if you used the 10 (RP and NP) handouts to understand the concepts, then took the practice tests, then used the "cheat-sheet" like list to polish up on, you should get an 80 no problem.  I took it in Feb 05.  Are you sure you didn't take the DOE practice tests by mistake?  The NUE/NUF is very instrument heavy, and it also seemed a little nuclide heavy (understanding what nuclide is most important for the different situations encountered during ALL phases of plant operations).  Which part stumped you bad?

[RRhoads]

instruments are only a part of the test...are there alot of instrument questions?
Maybe but i think people tend to focus on the questions that give them problems...i 've always had instrument questions but if you take this thing enough..you can usually choose the best answer. Iam not instrument guru..
Don't just study instruments & nothing else.....
Theory, math, & your formulas...have never taken an exam that was heavy on reactor theory per se but there are things you need to know..stuff you pick up if you've been doing it a while...but it's all part of package.
Good luck.

[Rennhack]

To be fair, the questions and 'cheat-sheet' were taken form the old test.  The study material however is the new stuff.  But come on, the physics hasen't changed.  The instruments haven't changed.

It's not meant to be the answers to the test.  It's meant to help you LEARN the material.

[RRhoads]

no doubt!
remember that big friggin ABB "study guide" from the early 90's???
Try plowing thru that!
The stuff here is waaaay easier to get thru.

[Surveyors_mato]

It's hard to disagree with anything said here. 1. Yes, all the info is here. 2. Nuclide heavy but also as heavy on the theory. 3. Big instruments ( didn't do bad on this). and D. ;>)....Hardest part is the way it's presented. I have the misfortune of having studied it, as weird as this may sound, the wrong way. I was looking for "key phrases". I haven't been doing this for very long so I haven't been as exposed to this material from all different angles like techs that have been around for 6-10 years. I have been on the fast track to SR. so i'm thinking maybe I just need to slow it down.

  Thanks and Karma to all!

[alphadude]

why dont those that have taken the test submit to mike "similar" test questions to put in the test bank. show them on here and "its all good!"

[RRhoads]

Interactions.! And, with no offense intended to the supporters of this site, The study material here is VERY different from the test. Format, and language of the test are ( at least where I have taken it), nothing like what I experienced. I scored a re-do. All of the information is here yes but the presentation as I have heard from old time techs, is more like the old test format. Good for the test, bad for the Jr trying to make SR by self study.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NEXT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well i hate to say it but when i came up in 92', i had to self study for my first Jr Job...i deconned for 1 yr prior to that but i had to study on my own.

[Surveyors_mato]

Hey, I guess it could be said I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth. Don't mean to and hope I'm not, coming across like I'm looking for an easy ride. I know full well that most of us have done this on our own. I'm not trying to break the mold. Not looking for a Cheat sheet. Only a better way of studying the material. Not looking for the easy test ( wouldn't turn it down if I got it though). Self study is good. It could maybe just be better. Thanks to all of you for the advice/encouragment. See you on the next one.

[hamsamich]

I am good at taking these tests.  For real, the best way is to slow it down and actually visualize what is being said, especially intruments, even if what you visualize isn't actually what is happening.  For instance, for tenth thicknesses, I visualize the radiation going thru one tenth thickness of lead, and it looks like a graph in my mind, one side of the lead has a bunch of gray looking gammas high up on the wall, but when they pass thru, only about 10% of those gammas are left on the other side.  Just a simple thing here, but hopefully you get my point, I don't need to think about tenth thicknesses anymore, I have a visualiztion that will work for remembering, even if it isn't really EXACTLY how things work.  Don't memorize words ever, unless you have to, like nuclide of concern.  But even with stuff like that, if you try to really get in to each important nuclide, like learning the 1/2 life, MeV of gamma, gas or solid, it will help when the test comes because you can reason out why it is the nuclide of concern.  For instance, why is Ar-41 a nuclide of concern shortly after a reactor shutdown?  Well, it has a longer halflife than N-16 (1.8hr vs 7 secs) and it has a big gamma, so since N-16 goes away really quickly and AR-41 is in the reactor coolant (I think it comes from acivation of AR-40, which is 1% of the air we breath, and is entrained in the coolant inertly).  So Ar-41 hangs around for a while.  There are a couple other reasons also, but I'm not writing a book here (almost . Don't memorize only that AR-41 is a nuclide of  concern 15 minutes after reactor shutdown, know why.  If you are reading the material and you come upon a word you don't truly understand, look it up, take the time this one time.  If you do that, in 5 years when it comes time to take the test again you won't stress and spend a whole lot of time going crazy, you'll already know it!

[hamsamich]

Most important thing is you do not actually have to visualize the total exact thing that is going on.  Just get a picture in your head that makes the concept make sense.  You could have 10 pigs flying into a lead wall and one pig left afterwards.  The pigs are gammas, right!!  Whatever, make it fun if you can....

[RRhoads]

there is a point to where you can "over" study...things start to run together & you can get confused. You'll either know it or you won't...that TVL is something i've never taken the time to learn it enough to pass it on an exam...i get the concept bet i don't focus on it for an exam....i know enough other stuff that i can dump that question say in favor of a 6CEN problem.
You don't have to know it all...80 is 100. ya know?

[Rennhack]

I agree with hamsamich, that is what I have done.  I close my eyes, and try to visualize everything, and make sence of it.  I try to relate it to something I already understand.  More common physics like gravity, and magenetisim that they teach you in second grade.  This has worked very well for me, and I suggest you try it.  Thats what I mean by "learn" the material.  Try to make it make sence to you.

[HPKC]

I took the NUF in 2005 at McGuire after not having taken it since 1996 and made 100 on it.  For a great study guide go to www.westrain.org, click on Documents, click on RP Fundamentals Study Guide (NUF Exam).  I read through this twice and kept taking the Nukeworker NUF test over and over.  Have to say a lot of my questions were the same as on Nukeworker.

In 2003 Palo Verde required juniors to take and pass a junior R.P. test.  If you had an existing passing score from a previous NUF exam, even if it was 7 years before like mine was, you were exempted from taking the junior test.