2002 News
Due to the age of these news items, information (including links) may be outdated. Please use the search feature at the top of the page to find more current information on the subject or to find a current link.
25 JUNE 2002
CGFNS opens new exam center in Cochin, India
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and Mr. A.C. Jose, Member of Parliament from Kerala, jointly announced that CGFNS will establish a test center to conduct its CGFNS Qualifying ExamSM for nurses in Cochin, Kerala, India. This center will be in addition to the organization’s current test center in India, located at Bangalore in the State of Karnataka. CGFNS expects that the first exam to be administered in Cochin will be in March 2003.
The joint announcement was made in Washington, D.C., while Mr. Jose was on a private visit to the United States. Mr. Jose has actively sought the establishment of a CGFNS test center in Kerala.
CGFNS administers its CGFNS Qualifying ExamSM three times each year for nurses educated outside the United States who wish to practice nursing in the United States. The exams are administered in 40 countries worldwide in March, July and November. CGFNS received approval from the Indian Government to administer its exam in India in 2001. The first exam in India was given at Bangalore on 13 March 2002. The exams, scheduled for 10 July 2002 and 13 November 2002, will also be administered in Bangalore, while preparations are being made for the opening of the additional center in Cochin.
Applicants wishing to sit for any of the 2003 CGFNS Qualifying ExamSM in Cochin should designate the Cochin center number, 851, on their application form at the time of filing. The test center number for Bangalore is 850.
The dates and deadlines for the CGFNS Qualifying ExamSM in 2002 and 2003 are as follows:
| Exam | Deadline |
|---|---|
| 10 July 2002 13 November 2002 12 March 2003 9 July 2003 12 November 2003 |
10 April 2002 14 August 2002 11 December 2002 9 April 2003 13August 2003 |
The CGFNS Qualifying ExamSM, one of the elements of the Certification Program, tests the nursing skills of nurses who seek to practice nursing in the United States. The Certification Program is designed for first-level, general nurses educated outside the United States who wish to become licensed in the United States. The three elements that comprise the Certification Program are 1) a credentials review, 2) the CGFNS Qualifying ExamSM, and 3) an English language proficiency examination.
In addition, United States law provides that nurses seeking to obtain permanent work visas to the United States to work in their profession must obtain a VisaScreen® certificate from CGFNS. This certificate attests to: 1) the comparability of the nurse’s education and training to that offered in the United States, (2) ability to speak and write English at an appropriate level, and (3) possession of a currently valid and unencumbered nursing license.
