The 6 months is a requirement everywhere. You HAVE to spend 6 months onsite outside of class time, otherwise the NRC holds your license for 6 months. I know because I'm in that boat.
2 to 3 years is hardly accelerated, At the most it should take 20 months to license an Instant, and that includes the 6 months you have to spend in outside of training.
Here is what you should expect.
1: 6 months of indoctrination, this should include being assigned to an operating shift with a sort of Pre Qual Card. Mostly it involves doing rounds with NLO's and learning how OPs thinks.
2: 8 to 12 weeks of GFE training (it's on the shorter end now since the test is easier). This consists of theory, Thermo, Reactor Theory, and Components. At the end you'll take a utility administered exam followed by the NRC GFE Exam. You must pass this to get a license. It's also the last Theory exam you'll ever take, although sometimes they drop a theory question or two on the NRC Operator Exam.
3: You'll then start systems training. You'll learn most of the systems at the plant, and print reading. I'd suggest learning to read electrical prints right now. You'll live in them the rest of your career. This usually lasts about 12 weeks with weekly exams, most utilities are requiring you maintain an 85% rolling average on your exams. Some utilities have a systems final, others an Oral board and some neither.
4: Then you'll start Procedures. These are the General Operating procedures on how you move the plant from point A to Point B. You'll also learn the Abnormal And Emergency Procedures and their hierarchy of usage. Normally you'll take weekly exams. You'll also practice each procedure once on the simulator. The simulator time is to expose you to the procedures, not to get you proficient. This lasts anywhere from 8 weeks to 4 or 5 months (depends on how it's broken down, sometimes EOPs are taught later). At this time you'll get the SRO Upgrades into your class. You best learn from them, they're the best teachers you'll get. You'll also learn Admin procedures. I'll warn you now, BWR EOPs require a LOT of prioritization as Opposed to the PWR world. Once you're in one BWR Emergency Procedure you're in them all. If you can't prioritize on the fly you'll be doomed.
5: 13 to 17 weeks of Onshift Time. This time is spent doing actual SRO stuff under the guidance of an SRO. The requirement is 520 hours onshift time with 240 hours of that time spent above 20 to 25% power. You'll also need to get 5 Reactivity Manipulations and since you're an Instant you'll get more qual cards than you can shake a stick at.
6: Then it's about 6 to 10 weeks of Pre License Prep. This is when you'll do your simulator time using the AOPs and EOPs. This is where you learn command and control, and learn what to do when it gets hectic. Between this and Step 4 you'll get about 90% of what will be on your written NRC exam. The rest is some sort of systems questions. Usually you're not taking exams in this phase because you're really not learning anything new. You may however take exams similar to the NRC Exam so you'll get practice at that sort of exam. This phase culminates with your Audit, which is basically the Utilities version of the NRC Exam. They'll go by the same rules, same schedule. You have to pass this to go up for your NRC exam. Usually after this you have about 2 weeks slack time before the NRC exam.
7: NRC Exam: Takes roughly 1 week to 10 days. The schedule depends on the utility but expect the following
A: A 100 question written exam, There used to be a 4 hour time limit, but now I believe if you're making reasonable progress you can take longer than 4 hours. You have to get an 80 to pass, you won't know if you did for around a month.
B: JPMs (Job Performance Measures). Something the NRC should get rid of because they're essentially meaningless. You're put into a position with an initiating que. Then you respond IAW procedures. You'll due 10 performance JPMs usually 7 in the simulator and 3 in the plant. You'll also do 5 Administrative JPMs (figure the dose of we have so many tenth thickness sort of stuff). They've changed the rules because they used to be able to ask questions about the JPM. Alledgedly they don't do that now but don't count on it.
C: The simulator. As an Instant you'll have to do at least 1 session as whatever position the Utility determines to be the Reactor Operator (basically the guy who manipulates the reactor controls). You'll also be required to do at least one scenario as the SRO. You have to pass both in order to pass the exam.
Other items, somewhere within 6 months prior to your exam you'll fill out your exam application. You also have to take a physical within 6 months of your exam date. Don't be surprised if you have to take a Pre Employment physical to prove you can pass an NRC Physical. Enough Utilities have been burnt by guys with disqualifying items that they now all pretty much require it before they spend a quarter of a million on your training.
If you have a chance to get an SRO License I have no idea why you wouldn't take it. You are right. It gets PLENTY cold up there at this time of year.
Good Luck! If you have any questions just ask!
Mike
