How to: Applying for the CGFNS CES

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Let me start of by saying that I intend to make this a thread to help others (more on Filipinos but can be used as a general guide) who want to pursue their nursing career abroad, specifically the United States, and need an unofficial guide. We can turn this into a one stop thread so others don't end up shooting in the dark when applying for licensure by examination.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I work for/represent CGFNS. I am writing this guide through experience and it may or may not contain all of the information needed. Use this only as a reference since I will not be held responsible for any mishaps this may ultimately cause. With that said, let's start it off!

Before you consider choosing the state where you intend to practice make sure you do a little research on the requirements since every state has their own rules and guidelines. Also, keep in mind that most of the states to date require a SSN so even if you are approved for the CES you may not be able to continue to apply to that state.

CERTIFICATION EVALUATION SERVICE

The CES is intended to analyze your credentials and see if they are up to par with the standards in the United States.

Application for the CES starts here:

https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/intro.jsp

THE APPLICATION FORM

The first step in applying for the CES, assuming you've already chosen the state you wish to apply to, is to fill up either there application online or printed of the internet. The application itself contains your basic information like name, address, schools attended (primary - elementary/middle school, secondary - high school, and post-secondary - college/university), license, and etc. You will also be required to create a login account and make sure you use your main e-mail account just to be sure that you receive all of their e-mails.

Once you've gone through inputting your information you will then reach the part where you choose your service. Assuming you've done your research, this is where you apply what you've learned about the your state's requirements in choosing the specific service you want to avail. For instance, Virginia is a state that requires the CES Professional Report. Most of us will opt for the Professional report since we've already completed our BSN and are looking for a license. If you're still not aware what your state requires then click here to view each state's required service.

The fees for the service can be easily accessed by clicking here. The basic fee for the CES will be $335 and you can opt for the expedited service which promises a report within 10 business days assuming all of your requirements are submitted and complete for an extra $150. An extra payment will also be needed if your state requires an English exam. After the payment has been received you will then be assigned a CGFNS ID which I suggest you memorize since you will need it when filling out forms and when inquiring about your application

STEP1.

When the fees have been submitted you will then be directed to the forms, which can also be accessed by clicking here. If you are applying for yourself and currently hold a license in the Philippines then you will need to worry about 2 forms.

Request for Academic Records / Transcripts form

- This form will be submitted to your college/university where you graduated from. The first part will be filled out by you while the second and third part will be filled out by both the registrar and/or your dean/secretary of your college. You will also need to request for an official transcript from the registrar which will then be submitted along with the filled out form to CGFNS. The forms will need to be mailed by the school and make sure it is in an officially sealed and stamped enveloped.

Request for Validation of License/Registration/Diploma form

- This form will be submitted to PRC. Visit any of the PRC offices to have this filled out. Like the previous form, this form needs to be mailed by PRC in an officially sealed and stamped enveloped. Keep in mind this is only submitted IF YOU HAVE A LICENSE. IF you do not have one for any reason then DO NOT submit this form and make sure you provided a VALID explanation in your application.

Authorization to Release Information form

- If, for some reason, you have a third party to represent you then this form will be needed to give that person the authority to access and make changes to your account.

STEP2.

While waiting for your forms to be mailed since we can safely assume that in most cases it will take a couple of days for your university or prc to complete you can take this time to photocopy your high school diploma which you in turn will send directly to PRC. This is the ONLY time you will ever mail anything to them directly. It's optional but you can also include a cover letter to formally introduce and give whoever is receiving your document a run down of your information.

STEP3.

Once everything has been submitted you can visit the order status page to check the progress of your report by logging on here. Nowadays CGFNS has been quick to complete the reports specially if you've opted for the expedite service. The whole process will ultimately depend on how soon they receive their documents and their completeness.

Here is an example of the order status page and their checklist:

PAYMENT IN FULL

APPLICATION

SIGNED ATTESTATION

SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA

LICENSE VALIDATION FORM

TRANSCRIPT VALIDATION FORM

PASSING ENGLISH SCORE

ISSUED REPORT

CGFNS will send you an E-Mail when they receive the required documents and in turn will also change the status on this page. Assuming you've completed the application correctly and paid in full then the first 3 will be checked off.

Please be patient and give CGFNS enough time to both receive the documents and review them as well. It can take a minimum of 4 weeks to 4 months depending on how smoothly everything goes and/or how lucky you are. Personally, mine only took less than 4 weeks for my report to be mailed to my state.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION (I will add more to this section later on)

Please visit the CES FAQ.

What if I don't have a license in the Philippines?

That is totally fine. There is a part in the application where it asks for your license and if you choose no then you can provide an explanation why you currently do not hold one. Personally, I do not hold a license in the Philippines mainly due to citizenship issues.

How can I take the English exam?

Please visit TOEFL for further information on how to take the exam.

Can I be exempted from the English exam?

Yes. You can be exempted from the english exam assuming that you've held a job in the United States for a year (customer service, retail, sales, etc), your primary language in your university was English, and/or if you've attended school here in the United States.

That's it for now! I'll edit this further in the future and PLEASE IF YOU HAVE MORE TO CONTRIBUTE THEN PLEASE DO SO!

PS

Yes, apparently typing in all caps can sometimes get the point across :).

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Would like to add once you submit online application and you realise an error was made you can not change it online but at the moment have to write to CGFNS to get it changed

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Thanks! I made a mistake on my application as well and I had to work around it.

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In Step 2, i need to submit a copy of my high school diploma to PRC?

Does the diploma needs to be validated too if i have a license in the Phils.? Or just the license?

Thanks so much

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Hi thanks for all the information here.. I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN THE U.S. IN US...DO I NEED TO SEND MY DIPLOMA/TRANSCRIPT TO PRC..OR DO I JUST GET THAT FROM MY SECONDARY SCHOOL AND HAVE THEM SEND IT DIRECTLY TO CGFNS..? sorry I know my question seems to be easy but..I'm new to CGFNS thing and I just wanna get it right..

thanks much!

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Hey what state did you apply? Do you have any news is michigan is strict?? Thanks....

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Specializes in Corporate Nursing.

Hi there..

i'm glad to have read this thread. I had a hard time searching for info about the license validation for CES in CGFNS website. I'm a US citizen but I completed a nursing course in the Philippines. I am applying for CES and have found the " REquest for License Validation form ". I do not hold a license in the Philippines. I asked the North Carolina BON about the need for RN license in the Phils for NCLEX application and they said they don't require it. But CGFNS-CES has the form for it. They directed me to CGFNS about the license due to my concern that CGFNS won't process the CES report without the Phils. license. It will really put me in a big trouble because I'm already in the US. Will CGFNS process a CES report without the license?

Your response will be highly appreciated.

Thank you so much.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Yes they will process the CES report, you could send a letter also explaining why you don't have a license

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Specializes in Corporate Nursing.

Thank you so much for the reply. Lastly, I still have to verify with NC state board the need for English Proficiency as part of their requirements for NCLEX application aside from the CES. I am not sure if IELTS is applicable for US citizen educated outside US.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

That is something you should discuss with the BON

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I totally forgot about this thread but to answer some unanswered questions for future reference:

DO I NEED TO SEND MY DIPLOMA/TRANSCRIPT TO PRC..OR DO I JUST GET THAT FROM MY SECONDARY SCHOOL AND HAVE THEM SEND IT DIRECTLY TO CGFNS..?

- Regardless where you graduated you are required to PERSONALLY (directly from you) mail CGFNS your high school diploma and usually a photocopy will suffice.

Does the diploma needs to be validated too if i have a license in the Phils.? Or just the license?

- The high school diploma as stated above can come from you so no validation is required assuming that it is a perfectly good copy. The only validation that is required is with your TOR and, if applicable, your license in the Philippines. Your respectable school and PRC will be able to accommodate you with the validation process.

Hey what state did you apply? Do you have any news is michigan is strict??

- I applied for Virginia. As far as Michigan, I am not particularly sure about whether or not they are strict but I'm almost certain that the process for Virginia and Michigan are very similar. Meaning that they rely a lot on the completed CGFNS CES report for your evaluation and usually is also the basis for your eligibility. In short, having completed your CGFNS CES we can probably assume that Michigan will also grant you your eligibility

Will CGFNS process a CES report without the license?

If you do not hold a license in the country where you were educated and the state does not require you to hold a license prior to your application then disregard the request for validation form and provide a valid reason when asked by CGFNS (during the online application process).

English language proficiency?

- TOEFL is recommended but some states also accept IELTS. If you've already completed TOEFL/IELTS in the past 2 years I've read somewhere that it could still be valid. Your scores must also be submitted DIRECTLY TO CGFNS NOT THE STATE BOARD before you can be eligible to sit for the exam so NO "English exam to follow".

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i checked the requirements in my state(wa) regarding the secondary highschool diploma and it says that my state doesnt require Secondary school evaluation in CES. does that mean i dont have to pass my secondary school diploma? thanks. i lost my diploma=(

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