CGFNS

The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is an immigration-neutral, nonprofit organization and is an internationally recognized authority on credentials evaluation pertaining to the education, registration, and licensure of nurses and other healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS protects the public by ensuring that nurses and other healthcare professionals educated in countries other than the United States are eligible and qualified to meet licensure, immigration and other practice requirements in the United States.

Requirements

1. A completed CGFNS Application
   • You can apply to CGFNS programs in one of three ways:
     • Request a copy of the application from CGFNS by mail or phone.
     • Apply online
     • Download application forms, complete them and send to CGFNS.
2. A FULL transcript with an official school seal/stamp
   • Mailed to CGFNS directly from your nursing school, verifying the total number of hours of classroom instruction (theory) and hours of clinical practice you completed in each of the courses you completed during your professional training/nursing program.
   • A validation of your original registration/license as a nurse
   • Mailed to CGFNS directly from the authority which issues registrations / licensure in your original country of education (if applicable). If your diploma gives you the right to practice nursing in your country, your nursing school or the Ministry of Health must also validate your diploma to CGFNS.
3. A validation from any other licensing authority where you hold a license as a registered and/or practical nurse (if applicable).
4. A photocopy of your secondary school diploma (high school);
   • OR, if you no longer have your original diploma, an official letter signed by the principal, with the school seal/stamp sent to CGFNS directly from your secondary school verifying your full dates of attendance and date of completion/graduation.
   • Note: This step is no longer required if you graduated from high school more than 10 years ago.

All documentation must be sent to CGFNS via mail/courier; CGFNS will not accept any official documentation sent either by fax or email.

The mailing address is:
Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
3600 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-2651
USA

APPLICATION STEPS

STEP 1. Complete an application form. This can be found in the Certification Program Application Packet or can be obtained on-line at www.cgfns.org.

STEP 2. Prepare and send a nursing education form. Section 1 is to be completed by the applicant, while Section 2 is to be completed by your school of nursing.

STEP 3. Prepare and send a request for validation of registration/license form.

STEP 4. CGFNS will open a file and send an identification number. The identification number is for record-keeping purposes only.

STEP 5. CGFNS will review your credentials and notify you of eligibility status for the qualifying examination.

EXAM FEES
Enclose the application fee in US dollars, drawn on a US 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. The first application and examination fee is $295.00.

The Application fee can be paid by:

• Credit card payment — CGFNS accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discovery/Novus (CGFNS does not accept American Express)
• International money orders or certified bank checks made payable to “CGFNS”.
• On-line when you complete your application at www.cgfns.org

Note:

• Personal checks are not accepted.
• Do not send cash in the mail.
• All fees must be paid in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank.

The full application fee must be paid before your application and file will be reviewed.
The fee covers the expense of processing your application, reviewing your credentials, and preparing, administering and scoring your exam.

EXAM SCHEDULES

2006-2007 Exam Dates
CGFNS has announced the dates of its Qualifying Exam for 2006-2007. Application deadlines listed below cannot be extended. The dates and deadlines are as follows:

Examination Date	Deadline for NEW Applications	Deadline for Re-Applications	Location/Test Date Change Deadline
March 8, 2006	December 7, 2005	January 4, 2006	December 28, 2005
July 12, 2006	April 12, 2006	May 10, 2006	May 3, 2006
* September 20, 2006	June 21, 2006	July 19, 2006	July 12, 2006
November 8, 2006	August 9, 2006	September 6, 2006	August 30, 2006
March 14, 2007	December 13, 2006	January 10, 2007	January 3, 2007
July 11, 2007	April 11, 2007	May 9, 2007	May 2, 2007
* September 19, 2007	June 20, 2007	July 18, 2007	July 11, 2007
November 14, 2007	August 15, 2007	September 12, 2007	September 5, 2007

Exam Schedule
The exam schedule includes morning and afternoon sessions, plus a lunch break. The day will begin with morning registration, followed by Part I of the nursing exam, which contains 150 questions. Then there will be a lunch break and afternoon registration, followed by Part II of the exam which contains 110 questions. Before each part of the exam, a CGFNS staff member will give you an exam booklet containing instructions and questions. The instructions will be read aloud in English, while you read silently. The CGFNS exam supervisor will tell you when to begin working on the exam and when you must stop.

Passing The Exam
The passing score for the CGFNS Qualifying Examination is set at 400 out of 800 items in the examination.

Others

To access your exam schedule (“roster”) information, you must:

• Go to the official CGFNS web site, www.cgfns.org
• On the first web page, locate the link “ON-LINE EXAM SCHEDULE INFORMATION,” and click on this link
• In the new window, enter your permanent CGFNS identification number
• In the “Select CGFNS CP Exam Date” drop-down box, select an exam date
• Click on the button labeled “SUBMIT”
• Your exam schedule information will be displayed. you may print this page for your records. If you are not scheduled (“rostered”) for that exam, you will be advised.

On the day of the exam, you will simply need to go to the location of your exam at the appointed time. It will no longer be necessary for you to wait for your admission permit to arrive in the mail, or to present your admission permit to CGFNS staff on the day of the exam. You must take at least one (1) form of official, government-issued photo identification (such as your passport) with you to the exam location. You will not be admitted to the exam without proper identification.

Examples of acceptable identification:

• Passport
• Professional Regulation Commission ID card
• Nursing license (if it contains your photograph)
• United States state driver’s license (not an International Drivers Permit)

Changing Exam Date or Location, Your Name or Address or Cancellation of Application
If you need to change your scheduled exam center or exam date or desires to cancel your application, CGFNS should be informed no later than 10 weeks before the exam you requested. Request should be done in writing, signed or on-line. E-mail requests for change of date, location, or name and address will not be accepted at any time. In your letter requesting any of these changes, remember to include your CGFNS ID Number and birth date.

At the Exam Center
Plan to arrive at your Exam Center at the time your Exam Permit indicates. If you are late, regardless of the reason, you will not be admitted to the exam. By not admitting latecomers, we avoid disrupting the exam in progress and give everyone the same amount of time to take the exam.

Family and friends are not permitted in the exam room, nor are books, papers, cameras, calculators, tape recorders, cellular phones or pagers. Wear comfortable clothes and do not bring valuable items or large amounts of money to the exam. You will be given two special pencils to use, but you should bring your own eraser and pencil sharpener.

You also may bring your lunch, so you can be sure you will be back from the lunch break in time. You will not be allowed to eat or drink while the exam is in session.

When you arrive, CGFNS exam staff will ask you to sign your name on a register. Bring a passport and official government issued identification that includes your photograph.

In the exam room, please follow exactly the instructions that CGFNS staff members give you. The exam personnel and you must follow certain rules about seating arrangements and behavior during the exam. For example, staff will assign you a seat that you may not change; a staff member must accompany you if you have to leave the room; and you may not talk during the exam. No exceptions will be made to the rules. During the exam, CGFNS staff members observe all of the test takers to make sure everyone follows these instructions.

Only applicants who are officially scheduled by the authority of the CGFNS Headquarters are authorized to take the exam. Scores obtained and applications submitted by unscheduled individuals will be invalid, null and void. Re-application for a future exam and the corresponding fee will need to be submitted.

* Source:www.cgfns.org