NBR ARO Exam study plan

Map the full regulatory hierarchy from statute to binding license condition, and state in writing where each layer's authority comes from.

Build a citation index of the core provisions governing byproduct material possession, use, and transfer, keyed to section numbers.

Distinguish the obligations that attach to a general license versus a specific license, and list three activities permitted under each.

Explain how rulemaking, orders, and license conditions interact when they conflict, using a worked example you construct yourself.

Summarize the statutory basis for exemptions, general licenses, and the boundaries of agency jurisdiction over different radiation sources.

Compare the roles of the governing statute, agency regulations, and guidance documents in setting enforceable requirements.

Trace how a statutory amendment propagates into license conditions and inspection criteria.

Identify the provisions that impose duties on the licensee's responsible officers rather than on the institution.

Outline the complete lifecycle of a specific license from pre-application through termination, naming each required filing.

Draft the component sections of an application: facility description, equipment inventory, personnel qualifications, and radiation safety program.

Determine when an amendment is required versus when a notification or letter suffices.

Identify the criteria reviewers apply when judging financial assurance and decommissioning funding.

Apply the time-distance-shielding relationship to calculate dose rates at specified distances from a source.

Convert between activity units, exposure, absorbed dose, and dose equivalent, showing each step.

State the occupational and public dose limits and the constraints that apply to declared pregnant workers and minors.

Explain ALARA as an operational program requirement rather than a slogan, listing the mechanisms that implement it.

Describe the design features of a controlled area that satisfy access control, posting, and surveillance requirements.

Specify the survey instruments needed for a given source inventory, including calibration frequency and range adequacy.

Sequence the security controls for source storage, inventory reconciliation, and response to a missing-source alarm.

Explain how to establish and document a radiation area boundary using measured survey data.

Anticipate the records and observations an inspector will request during an announced inspection, and assemble a pre-inspection binder outline.

Classify violations by severity and predict the enforcement response for each class.

Draft a corrective action plan that addresses root cause, interim controls, and verification of effectiveness.

Distinguish an immediately reportable event from one handled through routine reporting channels.

Build a retention schedule listing each required record, its custodian, retention period, and retrieval method.

Write the reporting calendar for routine submissions with lead times and responsible parties.

Apply the ethical duties of accuracy, candor, and non-retaliation to three constructed dilemma scenarios.

Explain the licensee's duty to report known or suspected violations and the protections for raising concerns.

Rehearse the highest-yield regulatory and safety facts through spaced retrieval until recall is consistent.

Complete two timed practice sets and categorize every missed item by domain and error type.

Rework each missed item into a corrected one-line rule you can restate from memory.

Verify weak-domain coverage by re-testing only the items missed in earlier weeks.