What is the Credentials Evaluation Service?

The Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) evaluates the comparability of international education to U.S. standards. It provides detailed reports for regulatory bodies, academic institutions and employers. Two reports are available: the Professional Report, which meets the specific requirements of individual state boards of nursing, and the Academic Report, which meets the needs of applicants pursuing further education in U.S. institutions of higher learning.

Why do I need to have a CES Report?

Many U.S. state nursing boards either require or accept a CES Report as a prerequisite for licensure. You’ll need to contact them to find out which CGFNS service they use. Also, academic institutions, specialty certification authorities, recruiters and employers may request a CES Report.

Who accepts a CES Report?

Those who request or require CES Reports include U.S. state boards of nursing, academic institutions, specialty certification authorities, recruiters and employers. There is a list of state boards of nursing at www.cgfns.org/sections/tools/apps/sbonrequirements.shtml and each service they require or accept.

What does a CES Report contain?

CES Reports contain an analysis of your education: country-specific background information about schools you attended, attendance dates, and grading scales in terms of U.S. standards. They also contain an evaluation of your license/registration/diploma and credential source verification.

What are the requirements for the Credentials Evaluation Service?

The CES Requirements PDF is located at http://www.cgfns.org/files/pdf/req/CES_Requirements.pdf

What is the difference between a CES Report and the CGFNS certificate?

The CES Report summarizes a health care professional’s credentials. The Credentials Evaluation Service evaluates the educational/professional credentials of first- and second-level nurses, while the Certification Program accommodates only first-level, general (registered) nurses. CES does not require passing the CGFNS Qualifying Exam^®. Passing the CGFNS Qualifying Exam^® for the CGFNS certificate will indicate one’s likelihood of passing the NCLEX-RN^®.

Does CGFNS make recommendations regarding candidacy for academic admission, licensure or employment?

No. CES Reports are advisory in nature. They provide factual information and U.S comparisons about education and registration/licensure. They do not make specific recommendations.

How long does it take to obtain a report?

After we receive all required documents and fees, an average of 10 weeks is needed to prepare and issue a completed report.

Do I receive a copy of the CES Report?

When a CES Report is issued, you can go to your online account at https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/login.jsp, click on the “Order Status” link under “Applicant Options” to the left, select your order, click the “View CES Applicant Report” button and you will be able to view and print the report, available only for one year.

Those who were issued a CES Report before 2 February 2010 will not be able to view or download them electronically. Applicants who are issued a report between 2 February and 1 March 2010 will both receive a paper copy of the report in the mail and also be able to view and download their report online. After 1 March 2010, only online access to the report will be available.

What does CGFNS do when they receive my application?

The application steps for the Credentials Evaluation Service are found at www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/ces/cessteps.shtml.

Can I apply for a CES Report without a recipient?

No. CGFNS International requires you to have an official recipient for the report. You do receive an online copy of the report.

Who do I select as my CES Report recipient?

Your choice of recipients depends on who is asking you to provide the report. CES Report recipients can be state boards of nursing, schools, potential employers, recruiters and others. There is no need to designate yourself as one of the recipients, because you are automatically provided an online copy.

If I need to send a copy of my CES Report to another recipient at a later date, must I go through the entire process again?

You need to apply for the Professional Report Re-evaluation through your online account at www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/login.jsp. If the recipient is a school, you need to apply from the beginning for an Academic Report. A re-evaluation can not be from one kind of CES Report to the other.

I need to send a copy of an Academic Report to a state board of nursing, what do I do?

You need to make an initial application for the Professional Report through your online account at www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/login.jsp. We cannot send Academic Reports to state boards of nursing, or Professional Reports to schools. Additionally, a re-evaluation application can not be from one kind of CES Report to the other.

I already have a completed CES Report, and now want to apply to a different board of nursing (haven’t licensed in any state yet, so can’t endorse over to other state). How do I have this report forwarded to the other state?

First check with the board of the new state to ascertain if they will accept a CES Report. They might require the Certification Program instead, in which case, they will not accept a CES Report. If the state accepts a CES Report, you simply need to apply for a re-evaluation of the Professional Report.

How do I get an application?

You apply online. Go to https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/intro.jsp and follow the instructions to create an account. Download the application instructions from http://www.cgfns.org/sections/apply/download.shtml and the mail-in Credit Card Form and the Authorization to Release form from http://www.cgfns.org/sections/apply/forms.shtml

What can I check online?

Once logged into your online account at https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/login.jsp, you can check the status of

• your application or order
• whether we received your documents and/or credentials from schools/licensing authorities,
• whether you have been assigned your ID number
• and more

Using the information listed on the Contact Us page located at https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/processContactUs.do, you can also ask us questions by phone, email or make an appointment.

How will I know when you have received documents from me, from schools and from licensing authorities for evaluation?

Each time we receive a document, we will update your status at your online account at https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/login.jsp and send an email or letter notifying you. We will also make you aware of documents that are still needed.

I just received an email from CGFNS saying that I can check my status. Does anyone know how long that will take?

Checking your status is immediate once you’ve created an online account at https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/intro.jsp. Then the process of your application depends on when we receive documents from you, your schools and licensing authorities. Each service has its own timing.