BDCP NUPOC Interview Questions

[otedawg]

What types of questions are on the BDCP NUPOC interview?
I've seen on other posts that the math ?s just went to "u" substitution, and there are some physics ?s, but what else is there?

Also, which Admiral gives the interview?

I'm trying out for the May 22 board... any others out there?

 

[Thisguy]

What types of questions are on the BDCP NUPOC interview?
I've seen on other posts that the math ?s just went to "u" substitution, and there are some physics ?s, but what else is there?

Just to nitpick here...NUPOC is its own program, rather than being a designator offered under BDCP.

As for questions, expect Calculus and Newtonian physics. Also, the interviewers will have a copy of your transcript before you walk in the door, so anything you've taken in college is fair game.

 

[RockyMtnNFO]

Thisguy's words are mighty and I hear them.

Have you been on a VIP trip yet? Do you have the NUPOC study guide or a grey book on Nuclear power? Have you been to a recruiter?

Throw me a frickin bone here.

R/

Steve

 

[scoober78]

I would also expect some basic thermodynamics questions...(questions BTW...not ?'s), some basic inorganic chemisty (molar ratios etc...), electrical theory in addition to Newtonian physics and then, as mentioned some questions on your major.

This is not from personal experience with the interview, but from talking to several friends who are now Nuc's and one at Naval Reactors....a little insight into the community that I have as well. After your "nuts and bolts" interview, assuming all goes well, you will have a quick, formal interview with Naval Reactors (the Admiral, not that agency...Adm. Kirkland)

 

[otedawg]

Sorry Thisguy, but I didn't see a NUPOC and BDCP thread.
As far as a VIP trip, my recruiter said that there wasn't one scheduled before the board date in my area. (Las Vegas)
I don't have a study guide or a grey book.

I did a quick Google on NUPOC study guide and now I feel stupid
For any others looking for it, here it is... Study Guide

I'd still like to hear some comments from some others that have gone through the process, however.

Sorry about the ?s - it's "Questions" from now on.

 

[RockyMtnNFO]

Sorry Thisguy, but I didn't see a NUPOC and BDCP thread.
As far as a VIP trip, my recruiter said that there wasn't one scheduled before the board date in my area. (Las Vegas)
I don't have a study guide or a grey book.

I did a quick Google on NUPOC study guide and now I feel stupid
For any others looking for it, here it is... Study Guide

I'd still like to hear some comments from some others that have gone through the process, however.

Sorry about the ?s - it's "Questions" from now on.

I can't decide whether I like hearing about hosed up recruiters or I am getting annoyed by them.

The VIP trip is a mandatory trip that one must go on before the interview in Washington D.C. You are in Region West and the next VIP trip is next week in Seattle-tomorrow is the last day to get your name on the list for the 15th-19th.

Feel free to P.M me if you have any questions or want to talk abou the applicaiton process. It sounds like your recruiter may be screwed up but I may be wrong.

R/

Steve

 

[EM1]

Your transcript will play a big part of the day at NR. You'll check in and be placed in a room with everyone else getting interviewed for the day. You'll get anywhere from two to five interviews depending on how well you do. (Basically if you do bad in the beginning, you get more interviews to try to eleminate the possibility that you just don't interview with specific people, or are getting used to the process). You'll get asked things specific to your major, and they have people at NR from every background to ensure that they have appropriate questions, even if you are an art history major or something. Most of what will be covered is calculus and calculus based physics, however. And the way the questions are asked is designed to give the interviewer an idea of how you think, not so much how much you know. Some of the popular questions when I went were; will the washington monument float or sink, and prove it, and give the mathmatical derivation of pi to give you an idea. After all the technical interviews are done you will line up outside the admiral's office (Donald right now), they will give you some stuff to recite as you walk into his office, and he'll ask you some questions too, but they probably won't be too technical, although its not unheard of either. This interview is generally more of a "why should I let you into my nuclear navy" interview. Its a bit intimidating if you think about it too much. All the admiral wants to see is how you compose yourself, and he may probe into your work ethic a bit if your grades need some explaining. Hope this helps, if you want any more info, shoot me a PM.

 

[Thisguy]

You'll get anywhere from two to five interviews depending on how well you do. (Basically if you do bad in the beginning, you get more interviews to try to eleminate the possibility that you just don't interview with specific people, or are getting used to the process).

Holy shit, five interviews? I basically thought that if you got a third there was two ways to look at it: 1) You screwed up one of the first two, so they're giving you a second chance. 2) Hey, you're getting a second chance so don't blow this.

I've seen somone not get a third interview and not get accepted, which means if you screw up both interviews you're given, you're pretty much done.

I got a third one and proceeded to royally shit the bed, but I can say things worked out in the end.

 

[red1323]

No one in my group got a second interview, not sure why. It seems that if you get to DC, you have a VERY good chance of getting in, but I won't waste time telling you not to be nervous because I couldn't even sit down
Study the questions on the study guide they are VERY similar to the ones you see in the interviews (count on getting at least one or two verbatim). More importantly, don't get so caught up in preparing for the interviews that you forget why you want in. From my experience, the transcript doesn't count for as much as they say. There was someone in my group who had very little physics experience and yet got some pretty tough physics questions.
I just went through all this so feel free to PM me with any questions you have or if you want to hear my experiences with the process.

 

[Thisguy]

No one in my group got a second interview, not sure why. It seems that if you get to DC, you have a VERY good chance of getting in

This is very true. If they bring 20 guys to interview, they have 20 slots to fill and the spot is yours to lose.

Did they change things? Back in 2002, 2 interviews were the norm, then the third one was your shot at redemption.

 

[wink]

I can't decide whether I like hearing about hosed up recruiters or I am getting annoyed by them.

The VIP trip is a mandatory trip that one must go on before the interview in Washington D.C. You are in Region West and the next VIP trip is next week in Seattle-tomorrow is the last day to get your name on the list for the 15th-19th.

Feel free to P.M me if you have any questions or want to talk abou the applicaiton process. It sounds like your recruiter may be screwed up but I may be wrong.

R/

Steve

PM Steve and also ask about the DNR (dedicated nuke recruiter, usually a bubble head) that is supposed to come around and give you a pratice interview and work some problems with you. As a minimum, spend some time on the phone with the DNR Like Steve said, your recruiter appears to be AFU (well, Steve didn't say AFU, he never would ), better stay on top of this yourself.

 

[red1323]

Did they change things? Back in 2002, 2 interviews were the norm, then the third one was your shot at redemption.

From what I understood it was rare that no one got a third. I have no idea why, but then again I have no idea why at least a third of the stuff that happens happens.

 

[frigid]

It sounds like there aren't too many ChemE specific questions then...?

 

[wink]

It sounds like there aren't too many ChemE specific questions then...?

Lot of chemistry going on in a reactor.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Lot of chemistry going on in a reactor.

I'd say of any degree, anything to with chemistry will serve you very very well in your nuke career. Just about everything revolves around water chemistry of some sort. Nuclear engineering is great and would provide a sound theoretical knowldedge of reactor operations. I'd the second best is probably electrical eng.