2005 News

CGFNS Will Process English Scores from TOEFL IBT for its Certification and VisaScreen^® Programs

PHILADELPHIA, PA — NOVEMBER 22, 2005 — The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) announced today that it has begun to accept TOEFL iBT English scores on behalf of those applicants who are taking the new internet Based Testing English exam. CGFNS will continue to accept the previous TOEFL,TWE and TSE scores if they are less than 2 years old.

CGFNS and its division, the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), will begin using the TOEFL iBT minimum passing scores that were first proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) based on score information from Educational Testing Service (ETS), the administrator of TOEFL iBT.

As of November 21, 2005, the following Total and Speaking section scores will be utilized as acceptable minimum passing scores for TOEFL iBT:

• Registered Nurses, Clinical Laboratory Scientists, (Medical Technologists) Speech Language Pathologists, Audiologists and Physician Assistants: Total 83 and Speaking 26
• Clinical Laboratory Technicians, (Medical Technicians) and Practical/Vocational Nurses, (LPN/LVN): Total 79 and Speaking 26
• Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists: Total 89 and Speaking 26

These scores are subject to change when a final decision or announcement is published by the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the approval of minimum passing TOEFL iBT scores for the designated health care professions.

For Registered Nurses active in the CGFNS Certification Program, (CP) only a passing Total score is required.

TOEFL iBT scores already received by the CGFNS/ICHP are being matched to applicants.

About TOEFL iBT:
Educational Testing Service (ETS) has developed this new internet based version of the TOEFL, (TOEFL iBT) which will measure all four skills of communication: reading, writing, listening, and for the first time speaking. A new scoring scale has been established that will contain one total score on a scale of 0-120 and four skill scores each on a scale of 0-30.

For a list of where the TOEFL iBT is being administered, visit the learners and test takers section of the TOEFL Web site at www.ets.org/toefl.