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CGFNS-Frequently Asked Questions Who is CGFNS? As a foreign-educated nurse, how can CGFNS help me to practice in the United States? What is the CGFNS Certification Program? Which states require the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? What are the general requirements of the CGFNS Certification Program? Who is eligible to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? What is a first-level, general nurse? What should I do if I am determined to be ineligible for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? What other services does the CGFNS Certification Program offer? It’s very difficult for me to obtain documents from my country. Is it possible for me to send a copy of my transcripts or licenses to your office? Who is exempt from fulfilling the English language proficiency requirement? Who pays for the program? How often and where is the CGFNS Qualifying Exam offered? What do I do if I need to change my exam date or location after I have been scheduled for the exam? What should I do if I am determined to be ineligible for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? Must I submit my original documents for review? What if I no longer have my original documents and cannot provide a photocopy? What do I do if my educational institution has closed? What if my documents are not in English? Can I get a full refund if I drop out of the Certification Program? How long will it take to receive my CGFNS Qualifying Exam results? If I failed the exam, what is my next step? When I pass the exam, do I receive my certificate? I took the TOEFL exam three years ago. Are my scores still applicable? Do I need to have validations for all licenses I have held to complete my Certification Program application? Can I provide a photocopy of my license instead of a validation? I was never licensed in my country; can I still take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? What do I do if the agency that issued my license is no longer in existence? How many times can I take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? 1. Who is CGFNS? The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a non-profit, internationally recognized leader in the education, registration and licensure of healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS protects the public in relation to evolving healthcare policies and standards of professional practice for migrating healthcare professionals. 2. As a foreign-educated nurse, how can CGFNS help me to practice in the United States? CGFNS offers a Certification Program and Qualifying Exam, which most U.S. State Boards of Nursing require in order to be eligible to apply for licensure within that state. 3. What is the CGFNS Certification Program? The CGFNS Certification Program is a three-part program designed to predict an applicant’s likelihood of passing the NCLEX-RN® examination and becoming licensed as a registered nurse in the United States. The three parts of the program include a credentials review, a Qualifying Exam of nursing knowledge and an English language proficiency examination. Applicants must successfully complete all three parts of the Certification Program in order to earn the CGFNS Certificate. 4. Which states require the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? The CGFNS Qualifying Exam is required by more than 85% of U.S. State Boards of Nursing and predicts success on the NCLEX-RNâ examination. You will need to check requirements with the state board of nursing of the state in which you intend to practice. 5. What are the general requirements of the CGFNS Certification Program? Complete the CGFNS application form. Prepare and send a Nursing Education Form to the nursing school where you obtained your diploma/degree to have them send your transcripts directly to CGFNS. Prepare a Validation of Registration/License form for every license you have ever held and send each form to the issuing authority(ies). Send a clear copy of your high school diploma or equivalent. If your diploma is not in English, you will need to send a certified, word-for-word English translation with this form. Send three signed photographs of yourself and complete the CGFNS Photo Identification Card. Enclose the application fee in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank. Send an international money order or certified bank check payable to "CGFNS" or pay with one of the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard or Discover/Novus. 6. Who is eligible to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? The CGFNS Qualifying Exam is open to first-level, general (registered) nurses ONLY. 7. What is a first-level, general nurse? In order to be eligible for the CGFNS Certification Program, a nurse must be educated and hold both initial and current registration/licensure as a first-level, general nurse as defined historically by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). A first-level nurse is called a registered or professional nurse in most countries. A general nurse must have obtained theoretical instruction and clinical practice in a variety of nursing areas. 8.What should I do if I am determined to be ineligible for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? Depending on what part of your application was deficient, CGFNS might be able to provide you with information on how to rectify the deficiency. If you have not completed a full secondary education, then you can rectify this deficiency by obtaining the GED diploma. If you are deficient in one or more areas of nursing, then you may correct the deficiencies by completing a course at a government or state-approved school of nursing. You must obtain a grade of C or higher. 9. What other services does the CGFNS Certification Program offer? Forwarding Nursing Education Information - to any school, university or any organization that issues a professional license. Verification of Certificate Status - to any recipient. Replacement Certificate - for a lost certificate. All three services must be by written request and must include the applicant’s signature. 10. It’s very difficult for me to obtain documents from my country. Is it possible for me to send a copy of my transcripts or licenses to your office? No. CGFNS needs to have the applicant’s school(s) and/or licensing authority(ies) send the information directly in order to verify accuracy. 11. Who is exempt from fulfilling the English language proficiency requirement? Applicants may be exempt from the English language proficiency requirement if they meet all of the following criteria: Country of professional education was Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom; Language of instruction was English; and Language of textbooks was English. 12. Who pays for the program? The applicant typically pays for the Certification Program. The application fee can be paid by an international money order or certified bank check in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to "CGFNS," or by one of the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard or Discover/Novus. 13. How often and where is the CGFNS Qualifying Exam offered? The CGFNS Qualifying Exam is offered three times per year in more than 40 locations throughout the world. For a complete list of CGFNS’ Qualifying Exam sites, please refer to the CGFNS Certification Program handbook, contact the CGFNS Customer Service Department or visit the CGFNS web site at www.cgfns.org. 14. What do I do if I need to change my exam date or location after I have been scheduled for the exam? If you need to change the exam date or location you must submit a change request form or submit your request in writing to CGFNS. Change request forms are accepted via mail, fax or email. Changes must be received by CGFNS no later than 10 weeks prior to the exam date. Any requests received with less than 10 weeks until the exam cannot be honored. 15. What should I do if I am determined to be ineligible for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? CGFNS will provide you with information on how to rectify any deficiency you may have in your CGFNS application. 16. Must I submit my original documents for review? No. CGFNS accepts clear and legible photocopies of certain documents for evaluation. However, be sure to verify if CGFNS will accept your personal documentation or if original verification from the issuing agency is required. In addition, since CGFNS verifies credential authenticity, CGFNS maintains the right to validate any documentation with the source agency. 17. What if I no longer have my original documents and cannot provide a photocopy? If you no longer have your original secondary school diploma, contact the authority that issued your credential and request that they submit an official letter by mail or courier directly to CGFNS verifying your records and results. CGFNS accepts external examination results only if provided by the examination board. 18. What do I do if my educational institution has closed? CGFNS only accepts certain documentation (such as transcripts and validations of registration/ license) from source agencies. If your school has closed or no longer operates, you will need to contact the organization or agency authorized to hold documentation for that institution (such as a ministry of health or the national, provincial or state licensing authority in your country of education). If you are uncertain about where to go, call the CGFNS Customer Service Department. 19. What if my documents are not in English? A certified word-for-word English translation, signed with a certification of authenticity by the translator, must accompany any credentials not in English. If you cannot furnish a translation of your documents, CGFNS can provide an official translation of each document for an additional fee. CGFNS will accept translations of documents submitted by source agencies (such as transcripts and validations) only from the issuing authorities. Otherwise, CGFNS will translate documents for the appropriate fee. Can I get a full refund if I drop out of the Certification Program? A cancellation must be requested in writing. You will receive an acknowledgment and possible partial refund of your application fee. The refund amount depends on the total amount CGFNS has received from you and the total outstanding charges on your account. As soon as CGFNS opens an application, the applicant is charged a credentials fee as a first-time applicant or as a re-applicant. This fee is non-refundable. 21. How long will it take to receive my CGFNS Qualifying Exam results? Approximately eight to ten weeks after taking the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, CGFNS will send you a letter telling you whether you passed or failed the exam. Due to confidentiality, the letter is sent directly to you. No one but you receives your results. Mail delivery varies from country to country, so please allow up to four additional weeks for international deliveries. 22. If I failed the exam, what is my next step? CGFNS will provide your numerical score and the passing score for the exam in the results letter. Also included is your diagnostic profile, which will indicate your strengths and weaknesses in the client needs categories. These categories form the basis not only of the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, but also of the NCLEX-RN® examination. The CGFNS Qualifying Exam is offered three times a year. You may re-apply for another test date. 23. When I pass the exam, do I receive my certificate? No. When you pass both the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and TOEFL, you will receive your CGFNS Certificate. 24. I took the TOEFL exam three years ago. Are my scores still applicable? No. TOEFL scores are only valid for two years. Also, the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and TOEFL examination must be taken within two years of each other for both scores to be valid. 25. Do I need to have validations for all licenses I have held to complete my Certification Program application? CGFNS requires all CP applicants to provide validations of their initial and current licenses, sent to CGFNS directly from the licensing authority(ies). 26. Can I provide a photocopy of my license instead of a validation? No. CGFNS requires that official validations must be completed and sent directly from the issuing authorities. 27. I was never licensed in my country; can I still take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? No. Applicants applying to the Certification Program must hold a registration/license in their country before becoming eligible to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. The only time that this requirement is waived is when applicants are not permitted to sit for the licensing exam in their country of nursing education because they are not citizens. 28. What do I do if the agency that issued my license is no longer in existence? CGFNS only accepts validations of licensure from the source agency. If that agency has closed or no longer operates, you will need to contact the organization or agency authorized to hold documentation for that institution (such as a Ministry of Health or the national, provincial or state licensing authority in your country). If you are uncertain about where to go, contact the Customer Service Department for assistance. 29. How many times can I take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam? You can take the exam however many times you wish, until you achieve a passing score. However, in order to complete the Certification Program, applicants must pass both the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and an English language proficiency exam within two years of each other.

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