NCLEX F.A.Q.S 2013 update for PiNOY nurses

World Registration

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​Is it much better to file thru an Agency?

If you plan to take the NCLEX, there are 2 options in filing:

1. The easier way would be getting the help of an agency like NEAC. It's hassle free but the downside is they'd require you to shell out extra money for their services (15K) on top of the processing fee (40-45K)= 60K.

2. But, if you want to go through the tedious, frustrating yet less expensive (40K-45K only) process, like me, these are the things you need to know:

What are the steps in filing?

1. Determine on which state you want to be licensed. Submit an application to your chosen state.

Submitting an application in each state varies. Some states may require you to have an SSN. If your prefered state is Illinois, like me, follow steps 1.1-1.5 below:

  • you or someone close (preferably a relative) must have a dollar bank account----
    some payments will be made using a dollar bank draft(this is like a check with a specific amount in dollars payable to a specific institution).

  • you or someone close (preferably a relative) must have a credit card(i.e. visa, american express, mastercard)-----
    some payments will be made thru credit card.

  • make sure you have an available internet access 24/7-----
    the means of communication will be thru email so make sure you can check your email every day.

  • just use one email address----
    this is for uniformity and to avoid confusion.

  • expect delays----
    i started filing for NCLEX October 2012 but i got my ATT(authority to test) on April 2013. reasons for delay might include: your school or PRC mailed the wrong credentials; your school or PRC might fill out the forms required by CGFNS incorrectly; US and PH holidays; post mail from the US sometimes will take too long for you to receive it.

  • mail your documents thru FEDEX, UPS or DHL------
    don't mail it thru the Philippine Post Office because it will end up lost or it will take months for it to arrive in the US. our postal system is really unreliable. the cost for fedex, ups or dhl will range from Php1400 to Php1800 and you will have to mail 3 or 4 documents separately. if your school or the PRC mailed the wrong credentials or filled out the CGFNS forms incorrectly then you will have to pay for it and repeat the process all over again.

Apply to Illinois State Board of Nursing thru this site: https://www.continentaltesting.net/application/applicationForm.aspx?iProfessionID=10

1.1 fill in the required information in the site.

1.2 after finishing the online application, a 4-page application package will be sent to your email

1.3 print the 4 page application package , double check the information then sign it.

1.4 make a bank draft payment of $90.00 to CTS (Continental Testing Services)

1.5 mail 4-page application form along with bank draft payment to CTS

Only step 1 is different in each state. Steps 2-4 is the same for all states:

2 Apply for a (CES) Credentials Evaluation Service from CGFNS

CGFNS will evaluate your credentials then forward the CES Form to the State Board of your choice.

2.1 Go to this site: https://www.cgfns.org/overpass/register.jsp in order to register as a new CGFNS user. Fill out the necessary information(only the ones with asterisk are important).

2.2 After you're registered, verify your registration in your email and go to this site: http://www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/ces/ where you will request for a CES report. Choose the Professional CES report and not the Academic CES report. They will require you to make an online payment of $335.00 CES fee thru credit card. Just enter the credit card number, the type of credit card and the 3 digit PIN. Your CES report request will not be processed and your credentials will not be evaluated if you don't pay the $335.00. The receipt will be sent to your email after the payment.

2.3 You will receive an e-mail from CGFNS with the CES forms attached and instructions. Just follow the instructions in the email on how to accomplish the forms and how to mail them back to CGFNS.

2.4 Print the forms sent to you, double check the information and sign them. The Request for Validation of License/Registration/Diploma Form have to be filled up by the PRC. Just bring it to the PRC office then pay the PRC for processing and mailing(don't lose the receipt). The PRC will mail this form and not you. Just call PRC from time to time to check if they already mailed the form and ask for the tracking number. You will receive an email from CGFNS confirming if they have received the form mailed by PRC. The Request for Academic Records/Transcripts Form along with your academic records/TOR and another form asking for the number of hours of academic and related learning experience will be filled up by your school. Just bring this to your school registrar. Pay the processing and mailing fee. Your school will be the one to mail the two forms along with your TOR. Make sure you double check the forms before your school will send it to avoid repeating the process and paying twice.

2.5 Photocopy your high school diploma/certificate then have it notarized and mail this yourself to the CGFNS address.

Once CGFNS is done evaluating your credentials, it will send the CES report automatically to Illinois State Board of Nursing.

3. Submit an FBI fingerprinting card to Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.

3.1 Request finger print cards from illinois police state department by calling this number 217-782-8556

3.2 Upon receipt of the finger print cards, have your finger prints taken by local police station or NBI 3.4 Get a $50 bank draft payable to Illinois State Police Department.

4. register and pay $200.00 test fee to Pearson Vue

4.1 Go to pearsonvue website: http://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex/

4.2 Register online and fill out required information

4.3 Pay the $200.00 testing fee using a credit card

4.4 check your e-mail for confirmation

6. Once Illinois BON has approved your application, you will receive the ATT(Authority to Test) from Pearsonvue. Only then, you are allowed to schedule your NCLEX exam by calling Pearsonvue. The phone number will be sent to your email along with the ATT. Lastly, the agent on the phone will require you to pay $150 using a credit card. This is because you are taking the NCLEX Exam outside the US.

What review materials should I read?

I only read Saunders 5th edition. You can buy it at National Bookstore or C&E Bookstore. It comes with a CD. Read the book cover to cover and answer all the practice questions inside the CD. Its your choice if your not confident with just one book.

Which is the best review center and how much is it?

I can not answer this question because I self reviewed. You can google it though. I think the price range is around20-25K. I self reviewed because I found it more cost effective.

GOD BLESS!!!​

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hi i am a newly licensed nurse in the Phil. congratulations by the way. :) i would like to ask if you are a second courser or a 4-yr bsn? because i am a second courser and i dont know

(1)if CES-cgfns report is strict with evaluating our transcripts

(2)if Illinois is strict with concurrency issue/strict with second coursers

(3)if you took ielts/toefl

(4)do i need to reside/work in illinois in order to renew license

(5)do i need to reside/work in illinois for a minimum number of years before i can endorse to another state?

i would really like to work in the US but still have no idea where to start because i have no ssn and not a citizen there. hoping for your reply..thanks.

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empyempyempyempy i am a "4-yr" bsn grad.

1. What I know is CGFNS will compare your transcript if it will match the US curriculum. They will be strict if the CES forms aren't filled up correctly by your school registrar and PRC. Also, the dates in your TOR should match the dates in the CES form. Make sure the signatures are complete. Please check out the CGFNS website for more information regarding this.

2. The nursing curriculum in the Philippines is based in the US nursing curriculum in general. I think it won't matter if your a second courser as long as you've finished all the subjects required in the nursing curriculum. CGFNS will just compare the nursing subjects. If there are non-nursing subjects in your transcript CGFNS will not mind them. After your credentials are evaluated, CGFNS will only send the CES report to Illinois. Your credentials will be kept by CGFNS.

3. IELTS/TOEFL is not a requirement for NCLEX. If the language used in the nursing curriculum is English then you don't have to take IELTS as a requirement for NCLEX. You can take the IELTS after you pass the NCLEX because you'll still be needing this in getting an employment.

as for 4&5, i cant answer those questions. you can call Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation or visit their website. State of Illinois : Department of Financial and Professional Regulation

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Kababayans, one of the issue that will creep up one day and it's a problem one. Many are looking for states that do not require a S/S# to apply for the NCLEX-RN exam and yes, there are some states that allow that besides IL (NY is another), if you pass that's great and congrats.

Here's the problem: the state's BON will not release the actual license until you're able to provide them with a valid S/S#. Even if somehow the BON did give you the license, the employer will need to verify your S/S# before they can hire you. This is a federal law and applies to all 50 states.

An employer hiring a person without the proper S/S# and not only be fined but can serve time in a jail and in turn, the person without the proper S/S# can be subject to deportation. S/S# are usually confirmed by a few services, one of them is E-Verify and works for all the states.

There is little to no more hospital sponsorships today and you must find a employer willing to pay for the entire cost AND wait several years. One must also have a few years of a specialized nursing experience to qualify for such a visa or working permit. With the current glut of unemployed US nurses and more new US nursing grads, there's very little to no demand today for PH nurses.

This BBC article says it all: https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/us-labor-market-779683.html

I mean just read each of this forum's 50 different nursing states and read how many kababayans are actually working in a hospital, much less in a nursing home or LTC. Get a scratch paper and a pencil to make your hash marks to count them.

One misconception among us is that once we pass the NCLEX-RN that we now qualify for the very hard to get into "new grad" programs (as most do not require any nursing experience or less than one year), however, those jobs are open to those who will have applied within one year from their graduation date, not the month and year they pass the NCLEX.

I get flooded with e-mails about this so I keep posting up here and hope most read with some understanding that it's going to be a very tough and rough road to go thru.

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empyempyempyempy i am a "4-yr" bsn grad.

1. What I know is CGFNS will compare your transcript if it will match the US curriculum. They will be strict if the CES forms aren't filled up correctly by your school registrar and PRC. Also, the dates in your TOR should match the dates in the CES form. Make sure the signatures are complete. Please check out the CGFNS website for more information regarding this.

2. The nursing curriculum in the Philippines is based in the US nursing curriculum in general. I think it won't matter if your a second courser as long as you've finished all the subjects required in the nursing curriculum. CGFNS will just compare the nursing subjects. If there are non-nursing subjects in your transcript CGFNS will not mind them. After your credentials are evaluated, CGFNS will only send the CES report to Illinois. Your credentials will be kept by CGFNS.

3. IELTS/TOEFL is not a requirement for NCLEX. If the language used in the nursing curriculum is English then you don't have to take IELTS as a requirement for NCLEX. You can take the IELTS after you pass the NCLEX because you'll still be needing this in getting an employment.

as for 4&5, i cant answer those questions. you can call Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation or visit their website. State of Illinois : Department of Financial and Professional Regulation

thatladinzip7001 ok thank you so much for taking time to answer :) are you currently working/residing in illinois? or in another state

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Kababayans, one of the issue that will creep up one day and it's a problem one. Many are looking for states that do not require a S/S# to apply for the NCLEX-RN exam and yes, there are some states that allow that besides IL (NY is another), if you pass that's great and congrats.

Here's the problem: the state's BON will not release the actual license until you're able to provide them with a valid S/S#. Even if somehow the BON did give you the license, the employer will need to verify your S/S# before they can hire you. This is a federal law and applies to all 50 states.

An employer hiring a person without the proper S/S# and not only be fined but can serve time in a jail and in turn, the person without the proper S/S# can be subject to deportation. S/S# are usually confirmed by a few services, one of them is E-Verify and works for all the states.

There is little to no more hospital sponsorships today and you must find a employer willing to pay for the entire cost AND wait several years. One must also have a few years of a specialized nursing experience to qualify for such a visa or working permit. With the current glut of unemployed US nurses and more new US nursing grads, there's very little to no demand today for PH nurses.

This BBC article says it all: https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/us-labor-market-779683.html

I mean just read each of this forum's 50 different nursing states and read how many kababayans are actually working in a hospital, much less in a nursing home or LTC. Get a scratch paper and a pencil to make your hash marks to count them.

One misconception among us is that once we pass the NCLEX-RN that we now qualify for the very hard to get into "new grad" programs (as most do not require any nursing experience or less than one year), however, those jobs are open to those who will have applied within one year from their graduation date, not the month and year they pass the NCLEX.

I get flooded with e-mails about this so I keep posting up here and hope most read with some understanding that it's going to be a very tough and rough road to go thru.

steppybay thank you so much for this info too... i have researched some states and also aware of some requirements but unsure of the actual process since i base it all on what i read. i also know that some states will not issue license without a valid ssn within a time frame given. all i need is to pass the ces process, be able to sit and take nclex in a state, then everything will follow.nevertheless, i am still hopefull. :)

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I just would like to know also if ces has a standard/general evaluation or do they base it on the requirement of the specific state you will apply for? :)

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and steppybay, what state and what year did you take nclex? would you like to share your success story so that i/others may also gain insight from it....:)

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I was reading through the IL application packet and was off-put because of the note on page 5 saying, "Excelsior College is an unapproved nursing education program in the State of Illinois due to the fact that it does not have concurrent theory and clinical components as required by the Illinois Practice Act."

Thatladinzip7001 was able to get his ATT here though. Maybe you didn't have a concurrency problem? I'm not from Excelsior College but I do have cases completed oncall, sigh.

In addition, another issue that raises my brow is the section in the application for foreign educated nurses who can apply by endorsement (and not necessarily by examination). Does this mean that if I have a Phil license I can just fill this section out and bypass the NCLEX? :D Sounds too good to be true, haha.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

In addition, another issue that raises my brow is the section in the application for foreign educated nurses who can apply by endorsement (and not necessarily by examination). Does this mean that if I have a Phil license I can just fill this section out and bypass the NCLEX? :D Sounds too good to be true, haha.

It is. You can endorse your license from another US state but IL still looks at your initial qualifying education whether you are an IEN or US educated. If you don't have a US license then you must apply for license by examination and pass the NCLEX.

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Ah ok so it means that you are endorsing a US RN license but had foreign education. Thanks, JustBeachyNurse.

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and steppybay, what state and what year did you take nclex? would you like to share your success story so that i/others may also gain insight from it....:)

No success story, applied in CA, no luck like everyone else, lol. But a couple of other batchmates and I are still planning to take a trip to other parts of the state to look around.

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