CGFNS exam

World Immigration

Published

CGFNS exam is not a mandatory exam for licensure in the US. The only two exams are NCLEX-RN and the series of English exams, if you are not exempt from them.

The CGFNS exam is waived for Michigan if you are a Canadian nurse, or have worked for at least five years in the US as an RN. It is currently the only state where you cannot get licensed in another state, then endorse to there.

Illinois recently abandoned its requirement for the CGFNS exam, and now only requires the CES.

Most states are now just requiring the Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) done by CGFNS. This is different than the exam.

Immigration only requires that one exam be done, CGFNS or NCLEX. You will ultimately be required to sit for the NCLEX exam, so if you can afford to take that one, then that is the way to go.

Hope that this clears up any rumors that are flying around the world at the moment.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
thank you very much for all your writings. I'm, a Portuguese nurse, certificated by national consil of nurses in Portugal and i'm trying to go to USA. Here only exist one company that deals with this kind of matters and i think they don't know very well how to do it. They are asking me for cgfns if i want to work in USA, do i realy need this exam? maybe in order to get a visa! or a license work, or something before emigrate. Exist other easier way to do it, maby doing only one nursing exam and english exam.

thank you once again for your care.

Depends on where you will be working to whether you need CGFNS exam. These days there are not that many require the exam. Some agencies are still requesting people to do it but not always necessary. Where are you hoping to live and work in the US as that will help with further info?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i will try Boston, i've beem working in Portugal for 7 years, i don't have a degree for operating room but i work in anesthesia for 6 years. can you tell me if I need to do Cgfns,Toefl, nclex and the anesthesia exam for nurses? If i have to do it i will do. but only if necessary. i think that is too much.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
i will try Boston, i've beem working in Portugal for 7 years, i don't have a degree for operating room but i work in anesthesia for 6 years. can you tell me if I need to do Cgfns,Toefl, nclex and the anesthesia exam for nurses? If i have to do it i will do. but only if necessary. i think that is too much.

from what I see on their website you need CES from CGFNS, language exam and if your training is accepted ATT to sit NCLEX. Regarding anaesthesia exam I believe it is done completely different https://allnurses.com/forums/f16/

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2terminal&L=6&L0=Home&L1=Provider&L2=Certification%2c+Licensure%2c+and+Registration&L3=Occupational+and+Professional&L4=Nursing&L5=Nursing+Education&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=dph_quality_boards_nursing_p_faq_nurse_ed&csid=Eeohhs2

Up Vote Up Vote ×

A friend of mine took the CGFNS last July 2009. Does anyone here know how to check on the exam result? She went to "test" but she said she could only see the IELTS result but beside these the " CP Diagnostic Report " is empty also under the test name: IELTS. Does the "test result" under IELTS the result for IELTS or is it the CP exam result? Is there anyone here who can help her find the exam result? Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

if you cannot find the result on the test link that means that the result is not out yet...as far as i can remember it may take more than a month or so...so for now lets just hope that your friend will have good results for this exam...to add up, this exam greatly prepares one on passing the NCLEX exam...for me the CGFNS qualifying exam was way much harder than the nclex...for me the fact that you are going to answer all 265 plus questions from CGFNS as compared to a minimum of 75 questions in NCLEX, makes the CP exam more demanding and difficult...btw i passed the NCLEX exam with a minimum of 75 questions so if your friend will get through CP then he/she has a great probability of passing the NCLEX exam as well...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
if you cannot find the result on the test link that means that the result is not out yet...as far as i can remember it may take more than a month or so...so for now lets just hope that your friend will have good results for this exam...to add up, this exam greatly prepares one on passing the NCLEX exam...for me the CGFNS qualifying exam was way much harder than the nclex...for me the fact that you are going to answer all 265 plus questions from CGFNS as compared to a minimum of 75 questions in NCLEX, makes the CP exam more demanding and difficult...btw i passed the NCLEX exam with a minimum of 75 questions so if your friend will get through CP then he/she has a great probability of passing the NCLEX exam as well...

Thanks for the reply. Congratulations for passing your nclex. Will take mine probably on october. By the way, regards the CGFNS exam result, would the result be written in a separate test name or would it be on the CP diagnostic report? Under what test name would it be? Do bear with these question my friend lives with me here in my house and renting and is anxious & restless.

For NCLEX, which state would you advise us to apply since we are International nurses. We were thinking of California but they said they wont issue a license unless you are a greencard holder or have an ssn. Which state would issue license for International nurses in case they pass NCLEX? Please advise. Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

thank you, i know you will also do good on any of these exams if you put your best foot forward and remember the ONE from above...

for the CGFNS result it will be on another line, the test name should say certification exam and it will show the test date, a hyperlink under CP diagnostic result which will show how you did on each category of the exam, the score and whether you passed or not...(passing is 400 above)

for NCLEX, the only state that i know that can give you a license without SSN is vermont and i am sure with this...on my case i applied on DC (District of Columbia) because this is where my parents at...for DC, you will need a CGFNS certificate, so if your friend pass the CP exam as well as the english proficiency, he/she can apply on this state...just a reminder though, the att validity for DC is only for 3 months so you need to consider your preparation for the exam...to give you a heads up, i registered and submitted my application last march 30th, and they received it on the 9th of april, i registered to pearson by the end of april and i received my att on June 2...from there i scheduled an appointment for the exam on the 5th of august but had a change of heart and had it moved earlier, and made it on the 20th of July...after 24 hours i saw my name and licensed on the DC website...did not need to pay extra $8 for the pearson quick result...

so my suggestion is you check Vermonts website or if you want i can send you the application package for DC...and ofcourse i will need your email address for that so just feel free to email me back...goodluck...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Only take the CGFNS exam if the state requires it and only a small handful actually require it. Most now just use CGFNS for CES evaluation or another acceptable company. There are a few states that will issue a hard license but there are more and more now requiring proof of work/immigrant visa and SSN before they will issue a license (some states don't even issue a hard copy of a license even to USC or legal residents) and to be honest that is OK because once in the US with work/immigrant visa it is easy to apply for a SSN and get a license sorted.

The main issue with Ca is that they will destroy your file after 3 years unless you have applied for a extension or have a SSN which will result in your NCLEX results being destroyed and with retrogression you are currently looking at a lot longer time frame of 3 years.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
only take the cgfns exam if the state requires it and only a small handful actually require it. most now just use cgfns for ces evaluation or another acceptable company. there are a few states that will issue a hard license but there are more and more now requiring proof of work/immigrant visa and ssn before they will issue a license (some states don't even issue a hard copy of a license even to usc or legal residents) and to be honest that is ok because once in the us with work/immigrant visa it is easy to apply for a ssn and get a license sorted.

the main issue with ca is that they will destroy your file after 3 years unless you have applied for a extension or have a ssn which will result in your nclex results being destroyed and with retrogression you are currently looking at a lot longer time frame of 3 years.

who could have said it any better than you...you are the best silverdragon...always timely, ever informative...i commend you for that...however, the friend of the one asking on where they can apply for licensure has already taken the cgfns exam...this is the reason why i endorsed the state of dc, where i am currently licensed...i am not an american citizen nor have any type of visa with me, needless to say i do not have a ssn but this did not prevent the good state of dc on giving me a license and a hard one that is...what i mean to say is that since and when the op's friend passed the cgfns qualifying exam, he/she will be able to apply to the state of dc for licensure wherein a successful nclex exam will result to a license...and if not they can always try the state of vermont where they can have a license even without ssn or cgfns certificate...i just thought that if i will ever give a suggestion i would be more specific so as not to leave anyone with doubts and more questions in the end...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
thank you, i know you will also do good on any of these exams if you put your best foot forward and remember the ONE from above...

for the CGFNS result it will be on another line, the test name should say certification exam and it will show the test date, a hyperlink under CP diagnostic result which will show how you did on each category of the exam, the score and whether you passed or not...(passing is 400 above)

for NCLEX, the only state that i know that can give you a license without SSN is vermont and i am sure with this...on my case i applied on DC (District of Columbia) because this is where my parents at...for DC, you will need a CGFNS certificate, so if your friend pass the CP exam as well as the english proficiency, he/she can apply on this state...just a reminder though, the att validity for DC is only for 3 months so you need to consider your preparation for the exam...to give you a heads up, i registered and submitted my application last march 30th, and they received it on the 9th of april, i registered to pearson by the end of april and i received my att on June 2...from there i scheduled an appointment for the exam on the 5th of august but had a change of heart and had it moved earlier, and made it on the 20th of July...after 24 hours i saw my name and licensed on the DC website...did not need to pay extra $8 for the pearson quick result...

so my suggestion is you check Vermonts website or if you want i can send you the application package for DC...and ofcourse i will need your email address for that so just feel free to email me back...goodluck...

Thank you very much for the reply. Please email details of DC

Regards CGFNS, that is what really am confused of which is the reason why I asked you about which test name it should be placed under since the CP diagnostic report was placed under IELTS test name and was left blank/empty. My friend passed already her IELTS and that time when she checked on it as she told me these areas has marked on test name which is IELTS, test date and next to that is the CP diagnostic report which is left empty and no link on it , then Reg. number, total score of IELTS marked 7 as she got 7 and next was test result and that was left blank and then the last was test result speaking which says passed. When she checked on it last week the "test result" was marked passed but the CP diagnostic report was still left empty. Although I explained to her that must be the IELTS result but she was hoping it was the test result.

We wrote CGFNS how to access the scores & asked the same thing we asked you to clarify but all they could say was this:

Thank you for contacting CGFNS International. Our records indicate when the Certification Program July 8, 2009 exam results/scores are issued via postal mail and will be available online under test result for applicants who are registered online reference to there CGFNS ID number.

So that made me really confused because the CP doagnostic resport was placed under IELTS name and was left empty and the test result was also empty until last week. Anyway, we are very much thankful for your quick reply as well as that of silver dragon's advise for a BRN to apply.

Shall await your reply on my email with regard to DC application. Thanks.

Blessings to us all!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment