An Evaluation of Stress on Nuclear Plant Operators Due to Requalification Examinations

Individuals licensed to operate U.S. commercial nuclear power facilities are required by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to pass a periodic requalification examination in order to maintain their license. In a recent NRC survey, these examinations were cited by the nuclear industry as a significant source of stress on operators. The potential for undue stress to threaten the validity of the requalification examination prompted the NRC to conduct a study to identify the specific sources of stress, their impact on the examination process, and potential methods of reducing the stress. The methodology of this study, which involves interviews, examination observations, and questionnaires, is described in detail. The results and conclusions from this study, which will be considered with respect to modifying the examination process, will be presented when made publicly available.