diff --git a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/GNUmakefile b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/GNUmakefile
index 4fe368f65e..9d232868f2 100644
--- a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/GNUmakefile
+++ b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/GNUmakefile
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ USE_MPI    = TRUE
 
 USE_REACT  = TRUE
 
+USE_SIMPLIFIED_SDC := TRUE
 
 CASTRO_HOME ?= ../../..
 
diff --git a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/README.md b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/README.md
index 5b534c03ab..b5b833193b 100644
--- a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/README.md
+++ b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# nse_test
+# `nse_test`
 
 This is a simple test problem designed to explore how well hydro and
 reactions are coupled when a system enters NSE.
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ This version is based on ``reacting_convergence`` (which is in turn
 based on ``acoustic_pulse_general``), but using the ``aprox19``
 network with the NSE table enabled.
 
-You can run the Strang convergence test with the script convergence_strang.sh
+You can run the simplified-SDC convergence test with the script
+`convergence_simplified_sdc_w_vel.sh`
+
+The script `create_pretty_tables.py` will take the 2 (or 3) output
+files and make a single LaTeX-formatted table of the results.  Use
+the `--simple` argument to format in plaintext.
 
-The script create_pretty_tables.py will take the 2 output files and
-make a single LaTeX-formatted table of the results.
diff --git a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/convergence_simplified_sdc_w_vel.sh b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/convergence_simplified_sdc_w_vel.sh
index 0748f46b5b..02b79af326 100755
--- a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/convergence_simplified_sdc_w_vel.sh
+++ b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/convergence_simplified_sdc_w_vel.sh
@@ -10,17 +10,17 @@ problem.u0=1.e8
 problem.v0=1.e8
 "
 
-mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.32 ${RUNPARAMS} >& /dev/null
-mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.64 ${RUNPARAMS} >& /dev/null
-mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.128 ${RUNPARAMS} >& /dev/null
+mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.32 ${RUNPARAMS} >& 32.out
+mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.64 ${RUNPARAMS} >& 64.out
+mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.128 ${RUNPARAMS} >& 128.out
 
 RichardsonConvergenceTest2d.gnu.ex coarFile=nse_test_32_plt00080 mediFile=nse_test_64_plt00160 fineFile=nse_test_128_plt00320  >& nse_convergence_simple_sdc_vlo.out
 
-mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.256 ${RUNPARAMS} >& /dev/null
+mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.256 ${RUNPARAMS} >& 256.out
 
 RichardsonConvergenceTest2d.gnu.ex coarFile=nse_test_64_plt00160 mediFile=nse_test_128_plt00320 fineFile=nse_test_256_plt00640  >& nse_convergence_simple_sdc_lo.out
 
-mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.512 ${RUNPARAMS} >& /dev/null
+mpiexec -n 8 ${EXEC} inputs.512 ${RUNPARAMS} >& 512.out
 
 RichardsonConvergenceTest2d.gnu.ex coarFile=nse_test_128_plt00320 mediFile=nse_test_256_plt00640 fineFile=nse_test_512_plt01280 >& nse_convergence_simple_sdc_hi.out
 
diff --git a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/problem_initialize_state_data.H b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/problem_initialize_state_data.H
index 884a606411..301aba5d2c 100644
--- a/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/problem_initialize_state_data.H
+++ b/Exec/reacting_tests/nse_test/problem_initialize_state_data.H
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ void problem_initialize_state_data (int i, int j, int k,
                                     Array4<Real> const& state,
                                     const GeometryData& geomdata)
 {
-    int coord_type = geomdata.Coord();
 
     const Real* dx = geomdata.CellSize();
     const Real* problo = geomdata.ProbLo();
@@ -101,11 +100,11 @@ void problem_initialize_state_data (int i, int j, int k,
     // since the species are interpolated, normalize them
 
     Real sumX = 0.0_rt;
-    for (int n = 0; n < NumSpec; n++) {
-        sumX += burn_state.xn[n];
+    for (auto X : burn_state.xn) {
+        sumX += X;
     }
-    for (int n = 0; n < NumSpec; n++) {
-        burn_state.xn[n] /= sumX;
+    for (auto & X : burn_state.xn) {
+        X /= sumX;
     }
 
 #ifdef NSE_NET