CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools
(CGFNS) Certification Program is designed specifically
for first-level, general nurses educated and licensed
outside the United States who wish to assess their chances
of passing the U.S. registered nurse licensing exam,
the NCLEX-RN® examination, and attaining
licensure to practice as registered nurses within the
United States.
The program is comprised of three parts: a credentials
review of the nurse's education, registration and licensure;
the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, a one-day qualifying exam
testing nursing knowledge; and an English language proficiency
exam. Upon successful completion of all three elements
of the program, the applicant is awarded a CGFNS Certificate.
Why the Certification Program was Created
During the late 1960s, the United States experienced
a marked increase in the number of foreign-educated
nurses immigrating to the U.S. to practice nursing.
U.S. immigration officials had a difficult time identifying
which nurses educated abroad, who were applying for
occupational visas, met the requirements for licensure
as registered nurses in the United States. The reality
was that, on average, only 15-20% of foreign-educated
nurses were passing the U.S. registered nurse licensure
exam, now the NCLEX-RN® examination.*
The CGFNS Certification Program was created to serve
as a predictor exam and evaluation process for foreign-educated
nurses to more accurately forecast which nurses were
likely to meet the requirements for licensure as registered
nurses in the United States.
EligibilityThe CGFNS Certification Program is designed
ONLY for first-level, general nurses educated and/or
licensed outside the United States who wish to assess
their chances of passing the NCLEX-RN® examination
and attaining licensure to practice as registered nurses
within the United States.
In order to be eligible for the 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 second-level nurse, often
called an enrolled, vocational, practical nurse or nurse
assistant, is not eligible to be licensed as a registered
nurse in the U.S., and therefore, is not eligible for
the Certification Program.
A general nurse must have obtained theoretical instruction
and clinical practice in a variety of nursing areas.
A nurse who specialized in one area without being educated
and registered/licensed as a general nurse is not eligible
for the Certification Program.
Elements of the Program
The Certification Program is a three-part program, comprised
of a credentials review, a one-day qualifying exam of
nursing knowledge, and an English language proficiency
exam. Upon successful completion of all three elements
of the program, the applicant is awarded a CGFNS Certificate.
Credentials Review
CGFNS evaluates an applicant's education and registration
credentials to certify that the applicant is a first-level,
general nurse and meets all of the registration requirements
to be licensed as a professional in that field.
Applicants must have completed a senior secondary school
education separate from their nursing education; graduated
from a government-approved nursing program of at least
two years in length; and received theoretical instruction
and clinical practice in nursing care of the adult (including
medical and surgical nursing), maternal/infant nursing
care, nursing care of children and psychiatric/mental
health nursing.
Note: All transcripts must come directly from source
agencies.
Applicants must have a full and unrestricted license/registration
to practice as a first-level, general nurse in the country
where they completed their general nursing education;
and hold a current license/registration as a first-level,
general nurse.
Note: All validations must come directly from the source
agencies.
CGFNS Qualifying Exam
The CGFNS Qualifying Exam of nursing knowledge is offered
three times a year at more than 40 locations spanning
the globe. To date, more than 300,000 exams have been
administered to over 175,00 applicants. The exam is
divided into two parts with a total of 260 questions.
Applicants are given two hours and 30 minutes for Part
1, which includes 150 questions. After breaking for
lunch, applicants are given one hour and 50 minutes
to complete Part 2, consisting of 110 questions.
The Qualifying Exam measures an applicant's nursing
knowledge and is based on what nurses must know and
do when they practice nursing in the United States.
The foundations of the Qualifying Exam are based on
client (patient) needs. The traditional clinical areas
of nursing practice -- nursing care of the adult, nursing
care of children, maternal/infant nursing, psychiatric/mental
health nursing and community health nursing -- are covered.
The exam ensures that an applicant has the same level
of understanding of nursing with various client groups,
in various settings, as recent graduates of U.S. schools
of nursing.
Both the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and the NCLEX-RN®
examination are based on the same framework of
client needs because it provides a universal structure
for defining nursing actions and competencies across
all settings for all clients.
English Language Proficiency Exam
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is
currently used to meet the English language proficiency
requirement of the Certification Program. TOEFL is administered
worldwide by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The exam measures listening, comprehension, structure
and written expression and reading comprehension.
Applicants must successfully complete TOEFL and the
Qualifying Exam within a two-year period in order for
test scores to be considered valid. TOEFL may be taken
prior to or following the CGFNS Qualifying Exam.
Applicants must apply directly to ETS in order to
take the TOEFL exam. For information or an application,
contact: Test of English as a Foreign Language, Educational
Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
USA; telephone: (609) 771-7100; or e-mail: toefl@ets.org.
Certain applicants may be exempt from the English
language proficiency requirement if they meet all
of the following criteria:
- Native language is English;
- Country of nursing education was Australia, Canada
(except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand or the United
Kingdom;
- Language of instruction was English; and
- Language of textbooks was English.
Program Outcomes
First, the Certification Program identifies nurses with
a high potential for achieving licensure in the United
States. Since the introduction of the Certification
Program, first time RN licensure pass scores of foreign-educated
nurses holding a CGFNS Certificate have shown a marked
improvement (up from 15-20% prior to the Certification
Program in the 1970s to 88-92% today).**
Second, the opportunity to take the CGFNS Qualifying
Exam and TOEFL at a number of locations throughout the
world enables applicants to save both time and money
by providing them with the opportunity to earn a CGFNS
Certificate in their home country before traveling to
the United States to take the NCLEX-RN® examination.
Program BenefitsAnyone with an interest in selecting
candidates who have a high probability of success on
the NCLEX-RN® examination will find the program
highly beneficial. Nurse applicants, U.S. Boards of
Registered Nurses, the U.S. Department of Labor, the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, universities
and employers all make use of the CGFNS Certification
Program.
Attaining a CGFNS Certificate helps applicants in three
ways. First, the certificate will help applicants meet
state requirements for the registered nurse licensure
exam. Most states require a CGFNS Certificate from nurse
educated abroad before they can take the NCLEX-RN®
examination.
Second, CGFNS Certificate holders consistently have
a higher rate of success on the NCLEX-RN® examination
than internationally-educated nurses who do not hold
a CGFNS Certificate. Passing the CGFNS Qualifying Exam
can help applicants to feel reasonably assured of success
on the NCLEX-RN® examination.
Finally, the CGFNS Certificate helps applicants to
qualify for an occupational visa. CGFNS was named in
section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 as an organization
qualified to administer a screening program for healthcare
professionals who are seeking an occupational visa.
The International Commission on Healthcare Professions
(ICHP), a division of CGFNS, developed VisaScreen™:
Visa Credentials Assessment to meet the requirements
of section 343. For foreign-educated nurses who do not
hold a U.S. license by examination, passing a predictor
exam, such as the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, is a requirement
of section 343.
*Survey of Foreign Nurse Graduates.
U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, DHEW
Publication No. (HRA) 76-13, 1976.
**1997 Report on the CGFNS Validity Study. The Commission
on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, 1997.
For more information about the CGFNS Certification
Program, check out Frequently
Asked Questions about the program.
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