The 150 (five answer) "multiple-choice" type exam covers broad-based radiation protection knowledge of accelerators; university health physics programs, medical health physics, power reactors, government radiological facilities, radioactive waste disposal, transportation of radioactive material, radiation protection fundamentals, and regulatory requirements.
The emphasis of the role delineation performed by the NRRPT was on identifying the specific elements of knowledge essential to effectively perform those tasks which the hypothetical "5-year, minimally qualified" RPT would be capable of performing. Knowledge elements in task analysis are typically defined in three categories:
• Systems knowledge: This category includes the types of knowledge that one needs for the operation of various components that form specific systems. (For example: the knowledge of a scintillation detection system's general components, or the knowledge of reactor or radiography system fundamentals.)
• Academic knowledge: This category specifies the academic or classroom knowledge needed to perform a task as well as to understand why it is being performed. (For example: the knowledge of interactions of radiation with matter, and the knowledge of internal deposition pathways.)
• Administrative knowledge: This category includes regulations and standards. (For example: the knowledge of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Environmental Protection Agency requirements relevant to radiation protection, and national and international consensus standards on dosimetry and related health physics practices.)