Qualifications are:
- Learning the systems associated with the Nuclear Power Plant. You should know how it works, its purpose, the different ways it could be operated, locations of all components of the system, draw a basic diagram of the system, and the procedures associated with the system.
- Learning how each system works together.
- Learning how to start up and shutdown all the systems of the Nuclear Power Plant. This also includes power changes as well as understanding what normal conditions and readings of the equipment should be.
- Learning how to identify the problems and abnormal conditions of the plant. You will also be required to correct the problems or abnormal conditions.
The process of qualifing involves:
- Knowing where to find information on all the systems. Technical Manuals, Reactor Plant Manuals, Steam Plant Manuals, Operating Procedures, Casualty Procedures, etc.
- Study the material in all your refereces listed above.
- Get quized by the Staff Operators (Prototype) or your Qualified Peers (Ship/Sub).
- Take writen exams on everything that you learned from Qualifications above.
- Perform Oral board to verify all the information that you should have learned from above. If you pass you should be "Qualified" pending any upgrading you need.
'A' school and Power school is the classroom part of your training. At Prototype you will learn how to qualify. You will be required to apply the knowledge you learned in the classroom to practical use as you operated a nuclear power plant. Most of your understanding and knowledge of the nuclear power plant will come from how you apply yourself in the qualification process. If you able to sit down, focus, read through all the manuals, and understand how the whole systems works, you should have no problems. When you get to your ship or sub, you will be handed a qualification card to learn the power plant.
The qualification process will start over at any new comand that you go to.
In the simplest terms possible, it is a complex machine that you are learning how operate. Almost like you did when you learned how to drive a car and get your license.