Miscommunication has been a contributing factor in major grid events, which is why the exam leans hard on COM-002. If you sit in an RC, TOP, or BA seat, you issue and receive Operating Instructions every shift — and the exam wants to know you understand exactly when three-part communication is a documented protocol and when it becomes a hard requirement. This is one of the most testable standards on the RC exam because the rules are precise and the traps are easy to set.
Test Tips
- Know the definition of an Operating Instruction cold. Per the NERC Glossary, it is a command by operating personnel responsible for Real-time operation of the interconnected Bulk Electric System to change or preserve the state, status, output, or input of an Element or Facility. A discussion of general information or potential options is not a command and is not an Operating Instruction. The exam loves to put a "discussion of alternatives" in the answer choices — it doesn't qualify.
- Don't confuse COM-001 with COM-002. COM-001 covers Interpersonal Communication capability — the channels and backup channels between entities. COM-002 covers the protocols for how operating personnel communicate over those channels. Capability vs. protocols is a classic distractor pairing.
- Know who the standard applies to. BAs, RCs, and TOPs issue Operating Instructions and must have documented communications protocols under COM-002-4 R1. Distribution Providers and Generator Operators are on the receiving end and have their own obligations under the standard.
- The Emergency trigger matters. Outside an Emergency, three-part communication is governed by the entity's documented protocols. During an Emergency, the requirements become explicit: the issuer of an oral two-party Operating Instruction must confirm the receiver's response or reissue (COM-002-4 R5), and the receiver must repeat the instruction back (COM-002-4 R6). If a question stem says "during an Emergency," the correct answer almost always involves mandatory three-part communication.
- One-way burst messaging has its own rule. A single-party to multiple-party burst Operating Instruction (an "all-call") issued during an Emergency requires the issuer to confirm or verify the instruction was received by at least one receiver (COM-002-4 R7). Watch for distractors claiming every receiver must individually repeat it back.
- Memory aid for the three parts: Say it — Repeat it — Confirm it. Issuer states the instruction, receiver repeats it back, issuer confirms the repeat-back is correct or reissues the instruction. If the repeat-back is wrong, the fix is to reissue, not to assume.
5 Practice Questions
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Which of the following is an Operating Instruction as defined in the NERC Glossary?
A. An RC and TOP discussing potential options to resolve a post-contingency overload
B. A TOP directing a switching center to open a 345 kV breaker to relieve an exceedance
C. A BA requesting a copy of a neighboring BA's load forecast
D. A shift briefing summarizing expected weather conditions -
Which sequence correctly describes three-part communication for an oral two-party Operating Instruction?
A. Issuer states the instruction; receiver acknowledges with "copy"; issuer moves on
B. Issuer states the instruction; receiver repeats it back; issuer confirms the response is correct or reissues
C. Receiver requests the instruction; issuer states it twice; receiver acts
D. Issuer states the instruction; a third party witnesses it; receiver acts -
During an Emergency, an RC issues an oral two-party Operating Instruction and the TOP's repeat-back is incorrect. What must the RC do?
A. Accept the response and correct it later in the log
B. Escalate to the TOP's management
C. Confirm that the response was not accurate and reissue the Operating Instruction
D. Issue the instruction to a different TOP -
An RC issues a single-party to multiple-party burst Operating Instruction (all-call) during an Emergency. What does COM-002-4 require of the issuer?
A. Obtain an individual repeat-back from every receiver
B. Confirm or verify the Operating Instruction was received by at least one receiver
C. Follow up with a written copy within 24 hours
D. Nothing — burst messages are exempt from COM-002 -
Which statement correctly distinguishes COM-001 from COM-002?
A. COM-001 addresses communication protocols; COM-002 addresses communication capability
B. COM-001 applies only during Emergencies; COM-002 applies at all times
C. COM-001 addresses Interpersonal Communication capability between entities; COM-002 addresses the protocols operating personnel use when communicating Operating Instructions
D. Both standards cover identical requirements for different regions
Answer Key & Explanations
- B. A directive to change the state of a BES Element (opening a breaker) is a command and meets the Glossary definition. A discussion of general information or potential options (choice A) is explicitly not an Operating Instruction.
- B. Three-part communication is: issuer states the instruction, receiver repeats it back, issuer confirms the repeat-back is correct or reissues. A bare "copy" acknowledgment is exactly the shortcut the protocol exists to eliminate.
- C. Under COM-002-4 R5, the issuer of an oral two-party Operating Instruction during an Emergency must either confirm the receiver's response was accurate or reissue the Operating Instruction until it is correctly understood.
- B. COM-002-4 R7 requires the issuer of a one-way burst Operating Instruction during an Emergency to confirm or verify that at least one receiver got it. Individual repeat-backs from every receiver are not required for burst messaging.
- C. COM-001 ensures entities have Interpersonal Communication capability (primary and alternative channels). COM-002 governs the protocols — including three-part communication — that operating personnel use when issuing and receiving Operating Instructions over those channels.
Drilling one standard at a time is how this material sticks. For full-length practice exams, the 400-question NERC RC Practice Test Book, and the GridCert RC prep program built by a working system operator, visit EPG Solutions.