What is IELTS?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jun 21, 2007

Hello, I'm going to graduate from a nursing college in USA. Never heard IELTS before. Do I need to take IELTS other than NCLEX to get RN license in order to work in no CGFNS required state?

It is one of the english exams and depends on what your state BON requires to whether you need it or not but you will need it for visa screen certificate unless you are exempt

blabber, RN · Jun 21, 2007

Hello, I'm going to graduate from a nursing college in USA. Never heard IELTS before. Do I need to take IELTS other than NCLEX to get RN license in order to work in no CGFNS required state?

As far as I know, you are exempt from taking any english exam since you will graduate in the US. Only those foreign educated graduates are required to pass the english exams like IELTS.

tempo123 · Jun 22, 2007

Thanks for both of you!

suzanne4, RN · Jun 24, 2007

Not necessarily to the above answers.

The English requirement is based on where the initial training was done, not just that graduated from a US program. Example, if the nurse did a basic program in their country, and then came here to complete the BSN, or even the MSN, the English requirement would not be waived for them. Only if they complete their basic RN program here.

And the requirements for the VSC are dependent on what I have stated above. Most states will not have a requirement for you if you went to school in the US. And to get into most programs, you need to have passed at least the TOEFL exam in basic form.

Hope that this clears up things for you. And in the US, you find the TOEFL series more readily available, the IELTS has only been accepted the past few years here, it was originally from the British Council and seen more in Australia, Asia, and Europe. The US has primarily used the TOEFL exams which are handled thru an American company called ETS. And this was the only accepted series until a few years ago when there were scheduling issues trying to get the TSE completed. Usually a three month wait for it back then, and not offered in all countries either.