RO, SRO selection

[KayakHomer]

I have heard from one of our senior managers that at one time Microsoft flight Simulator was used as an aid in the selection of people to go onto the licensed operator programs at some of the nuclear plants. They found a correlation between people performing a task on the flight simulator well and success in the licensing program. Does anyone know if this is still being used and what plants it is being used at?

Thanks,

[TVA]

Bunch of BS

[thenuttyneutron]

I have heard from one of our senior managers that at one time Microsoft flight Simulator was used as an aid in the selection of people to go onto the licensed operator program

I have heard similar stories but I never saw it for myself.  I do recall a RO at my old plant took some kind of test involving a simulated reactor on a laptop from some snake oil sales man er I mean SRO selection specialist.  The RO taking the test was a good RO and apparently got frustrated during the exam because the simulation acted nothing like a real reactor would in real life and failed to get selected for class.  He said that the test was complete BS and I give him the benefit of a doubt because he had competently operated a power reactor and a naval reactor.  He did not pass the first time he took the SRO selection test but later went to class as an upgrade and passed with no issues.

I do not have a good opinion of these "license candidate" selection tests.  I think a retarded monkey tossing paint filled ballons at a crowd of NLOs and plant engineers and putting the people with paint on them in license class would probably as good if not better than the snake oil sales man's selection test.

I have heard plenty of horror stories about what crews have done while performing for the NRC Operations Examiners.  One of my old partners at my last job was on a crew that incorrectly went to feed and bleed cooling on a PWR due to a mistaken belief that they had no sources of feedwater.  In the end they got feed water back and performed a saturated RCS recovery.  They all passed with a lot of comments.  I have also heard of a crew of candidates somehow uncovering the top of the core on a BWR while taking the NRC exam (there was no ATWS in progress).  I do not know the final outcome of the BWR exams.

The reason I bring these train wreck NRC exams stories up is this one simple thing.  The NRC is only testing the candidates for competence.  Can they operate the core in a way that gives reasonable assurance for the health and safety of the public?  If the answer is yes, they get a license.  If the answer is no, they don't get a license.  INPO can make a different standard and demand near perfection later.

[TVA]

That is so well said it isnt even funny.
Hey are you still at The Bess?

[thenuttyneutron]

That is so well said it isnt even funny.
Hey are you still at The Bess?

No.  I left DB on Friday May 1, 2015.  I worked in the west suburbs of Chicago until January of this year.  I have returned home to Texas and now live in the DFW area.  My new job is in Arlington, TX and the job location is only 6 miles from the house that I grew up in

[TVA]

Did you know Neal Ham?