The CGFNS Certification Program® has three components to be eligible:
The CGFNS Certification Program® is designed for first level, general nurses educated outside of the United States who wish to practice nursing in the United States. A first-level, general nurse (as defined by the International Council of Nurses) may also be referred to as a registered nurse (RN) or a professional nurse.
Second-level (Practical) nurses are not eligible to be licensed as Registered Nurses in the United States and therefore, do not meet the requirements to enroll in the CGFNS Certification Program®.
Applicants must submit a photocopy of their secondary school diploma or external exam certificate for the highest level of secondary education they attained. Secondary school (high school) is the school attended between elementary school (primary school) and university, usually offering general, technical, vocational, or college-preparatory courses.
* This requirement is waived if the applicant completed secondary education more than 10 years ago.
Applicants are required to have a current unrestricted license in their country of education. The license verification must be sent directly to CGFNS from the licensing body.
If that license has expired, the applicant must request that the licensing authority from which they have an active license provide verification of that license directly to CGFNS.
Applicants are required to have a current unrestricted license. The license verification must be sent directly to CGFNS from the licensing body.
Note: Any relevant documents received and validated by CGFNS within the past three years may be used to satisfy these requirements.
Applicants must request their nursing school to provide CGFNS with a full academic record or transcript from each educational institution attended for the profession being evaluated. CGFNS defines a full academic transcript as a record of an applicant’s courses taken along with clock hours for the clinical hours that the applicant received for each course.
These documents must be in English or must be translated by an official registered translator. CGFNS can translate documents for an additional fee. CGFNS will not accept translations sent directly by applicants.
All applicants are required to upload a passport-style photograph with a white or off-white background to CGFNS Connect.
Your photograph must be:
Sized such that the head is between 1″ (25mm) and 1 3/8″ (35mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.Source: U.S. Department of State
Status Update on CGFNS Qualifying Exam®: We are continuing to administer the CGFNS Qualifying Exam® however, some of our exam sites may be closed due to COVID-19. Those not able to take the exam due to travel restrictions or the closure of an exam site should please contact CGFNS Support.
The CGFNS Qualifying Exam® is delivered at Kryterion testing centers during four annual one-week testing windows. The testing windows for 2023 are as follows:
Once your order is complete and you have submitted payment, an Authorization to Test (ATT) notification letter is sent via email to the applicant. The ATT provides the applicant with their approved testing window and a link to schedule their testing appointment.
Applicants may change their exam date or cancel their exam appointment up to 5 business days prior to the start of the testing window. All changes or cancellations must be completed via Webassessor.
If an applicant does not appear for their scheduled exam appointment or does not cancel at least 5 business days in advance of the start of the testing window, they will forfeit the eligibility provided through the ATT. The applicant will be required to pay a re-examination fee before they can schedule another testing appointment.
You must cancel your appointment directly through Webassessor. Do NOT contact CGFNS to change your testing window.
*If your test center location has been changed to read “COVID-19 Placeholder Center,” your original test center is closed due to COVID-19. Please access Webassessor to reschedule your testing appointment here.
CP Study Guide
CGFNS Self-Assessment
Within 15 business days of the last day of the testing window, diagnostic profile reports will be made available to applicants. The diagnostic profile report contains feedback based on the total test score and sub-scores for each of the main topic areas covered on the exam.
CGFNS International requires evidence of English-language competency for both spoken and written English as demonstrated through passing scores on one of the accepted ELP examinations:
* CGFNS does NOT currently accept the at-home versions of English Language Proficiency exams. See chart below for passing score requirements.
English Competency Tests
Scores: Registered Nurses
Cambridge Assessment English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 qualifications exams
Cambridge English Scale 176 overall and 185 Speaking
Educational Testing Service: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Paper-delivered Test
540
Educational Testing Service: TOEFL Internet-Based Test
81 with minimum of 57 on Reading, Listening, and Writing and 24 on Speaking
Educational Testing Service: TOEIC (Listening and Reading)
725
Educational Testing Service: TOEIC (Speaking / Writing)
160 Speaking / 150 Writing
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
6.5 academic with minimum of 7 on Speaking
Michigan English Test (MET)
Overall 55; minimum Speaking section score of 55
Occupational English Test (OET)
OET Grade C+ for Reading, Writing, and Listening
OET Grade B for Speaking
Pearson PTE Academic
55, no section below 50
To be exempt from taking an English language proficiency examination, applicants must meet the following requirements:
English must have been the language of instruction, including the language of the textbooks;
AND
Entry-level nursing education was completed in one of the following countries:
CGFNS Certification Program® certificates are awarded to individuals who meet all of the requirements described above. Certificates are mailed directly to the applicant. Applicants are required to request a certification verification letter that will be sent to the licensing board to which they are applying for licensure.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that CGFNS has their recent address on file. Copies of certificates and certification verification letters are available to all applicants at an additional cost.
The application for the CGFNS Certification Program® is online in the CGFNS Connect Portal.
On the CGFNS.org homepage, select Apply or Login to be taken to CGFNS Connect.
If you have already registered to the new CGFNS Connect Portal, select For Returning Users of the Legacy Connect Portal with a personal email address
If you have not registered to the new CGFNS Connect Portal, please select For New Users of the New Connect Portal.
Once you have created and submitted your personal profile, please select “Shopping Cart” in the upper right-hand corner for a full list of CGFNS programs and services.
(NOTE: CGFNS does not accept the at-home versions of English Language Proficiency exams)
To complete the CGFNS Certification Program®, you must submit scores from one of accepted English language proficiency examinations.
Please pay attention to the following when considering the English language requirements for the Certification Program:
Exemption from the English Language Proficiency Requirement
To be exempt from taking an English language proficiency examination, you must meet the following requirements:
If you meet these criteria, you do not need to take an English language proficiency examination.
The CGFNS Qualifying Exam® is offered four times per year during five-day test windows. Test windows for 2023 are:
March 13-17, 2023
July 10-14, 2023
September 11-15, 2023
November 13-17, 2023
Once you complete your application and pay for the Certification Program, an Authorization to Test (ATT) email will be sent to you. You will then be provided with the testing window for which you applied. You may select only one testing appointment to take the Qualifying Exam®.
1. What are the steps to schedule the CGFNS Qualifying Exam®?
After you have been approved to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam®, you will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) email containing instructions about how to schedule your testing appointment.
2. What are the required steps once I go to the page where I can schedule my testing appointment??
Once you have entered your CGFNS ID number and password where requested, please follow these steps:
3. May I change my exam date or location once I have made a selection?
Yes. All changes must be done no later than five (five) business days prior to the beginning of the testing window. Changes must be made directly in Webassessor.
4. I am no longer able to test during my approved testing window. May I change to a new testing window?
Yes. You may purchase a “Qualifying Exam Testing Window Change Fee” to select the next available testing window.
5. I was unable to appear for my scheduled testing appointment. Can I get a refund?
No. If you do not show up for your scheduled exam, you are not eligible for a refund and you will be required to pay a “Re-Examination Fee” to schedule an appointment for the Qualifying Exam in the future.
6. How do I know if a testing center is closed due to COVID-19?
Many testing centers remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A current list of closures is available through Kryterion’s website.
The CGFNS Qualifying Exam® is administered in collaboration with Kryterion, which has a global network of testing locations. To find out if there are any testing centers near you, go the Kryterion location database.
Please note: Some test centers may not be available during CGFNS Qualifying Exam® test windows.
