What is CGFNS?

CGFNS stands for Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. It is an independent non-profit organization sponsored by The American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing.

The CGFNS examination has been prepared by nurses, leading U.S. educators and practitioners. This test is to find the nurse's knowledge in the areas of Medical, Surgical, Obstetric, Pediatric and Psychiatric Nursing.
Also it covers the five areas of the nursing process, assessing, analysing, planning, implementing and evaluating for which first level registered nurses are taught in the U S. The examination is designed and moulded in such a way as to measure an applicant's qualification and background in the practice of nursing and proficiency in the English Language, which is imperative in this context.

Passing the CGFNS qualifying examination is the first step to be taken by a foreign nurse graduate who wants to practice nursing in U.S.A.

Who can apply for CGFNS?

Applicants must have the following qualifications before taking the CGFNS Examination.

1. Have successfully completed HSC/ pre-degree or equivalent.

2. Graduate (or 3 years Diploma) from a Government approved nursing school whose two or more general nursing curriculum including both theory and clinical practice in each of the five areas of nursing - Medical Surgical, Obstetric, Pediatric and Psychiatric.

3. Valid registration to practice as a general nurse in the country, province or state where they obtained their general nursing education.

TOEFL, TWE, TSE

There are three components of the CGFNS Certification Program; a Credentials review, a one day test of nursing knowledge and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). You must pass all three parts of the Certification Program in order to earn the CGFNS Certificate.

You must pass the CGFNS Qualifying Examination and TOEFL within a two year time period. TOEFL may be taken prior to or following the CGFNS Qualifying Examination. The TOEFL passing scores for the CGFNS Certification Program as of July 1998 are:

Test: TOEFL

Passing Score (Computer) : 207

Passing Score (Written) : 540

You must apply directly to ETS to take the TOEFL examination. ETS will forward your TOEFL results to CGFNS upon your request. When filling out the ETS application, use the following code number when identifying scores recipients: 9988. This number is extremely important since it identifies you specifically as a CGFNS candidate and insures that your ETS results will be forwarded for inclusion in your CGFNS file.