A. The National Educational Examinations Authority (NEEA), an agency of the Ministry of Education, will conduct the CGFNS Qualifying Examination for nurses in Beijing, People's Republic of China, on July 9, 2003. This will be the first time that the CGFNS Qualifying Exam has been offered in China, excluding Hong Kong. NEEA is the sole authority authorized by CGFNS to conduct the exam in China.

    Q. When and Where will the Exam be Held?

    A. Announcements about the time of the exam and location of the exam site(s) will be made by NEEA on its website, www.51test.com.

    Q. Does CGFNS Recommend that Applicants Use a Preparation Course for the Examination?

    A. CGFNS does NOT require that applicants who want to sit for the CGFNS exam must have first taken a preparation course. CGFNS is aware that many organizations are offering preparation courses for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. Some of these organizations may claim that they have been authorized by CGFNS to offer this preparation course, or that they represent CGFNS or NEEA. CGFNS has authorized no individual or organization to conduct preparation courses for the Qualifying Exam. NEEA is CGFNS' only representative in China. NEEA has authorized no individual or organization or school to represent it or to conduct preparation courses for the Qualifying Exam in China. Any organization or school which conducts preparation courses for this exam is not authorized to do so by either CGFNS or NEEA.

    Q. Who is Eligible to Sit For the Qualifying Exam?

    A. A nurse is eligible to sit for the Qualifying Exam is he or she is a first-level, general (registered) nurse. What this means is that the applicant's nursing education must have been completed separate from secondary school education and that the nursing education must have included sufficient hours of both clinical and theory in all four areas of nursing. Those areas include Medical/Surgical Nursing, Maternal/Infant Nursing (Obstetrics) excluding Gynecology, Care of Children (Pediatrics), and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing excluding Neurology. If an applicant's nursing education lacks one of the four areas of nursing, he or she must complete a nursing course in that area from a government approved nursing school before he or she will be authorized to sit for the CGFNS exam.

    If an applicant's nursing education and secondary school education were not separate but were combined, the nurse/applicant is not eligible for the Qualifying Exam and will not be approved to sit for the Exam unless the nurse is able to demonstrate one of two things: 1) that the nurse has subsequently completed a full secondary education separate from the nursing education; or 2) that he or she has passed an examination certifying that he or she has completed the equivalent of a secondary school education. (In the United States, this test is known as the General Educational Development test, or GED. A person who passes the GED test receives a GED certificate demonstrating that he or she has attained the equivalent of a secondary school education.)

    If an applicant's nursing education and secondary school education were not separate but were combined, and if the nurse/applicant is unable to demonstrate one of the two requirements listed above, the applicant will not be approved to sit for the Qualifying Exam.

    CGFNS suggests that applicants who have questions about their eligibility should contact CGFNS before submitting their application and paying the application fee, to seek guidance about whether they are eligible.

    Q. How do Applicants Obtain Application Forms?

    A. Applications for the July 2003 and future Qualifying Exams are provided free of charge by CGFNS. Application forms can be obtained in several ways. The simplest way is for an applicant to download the application form from CGFNS' web site at www.cgfns.org. When the applicant arrives at the CGFNS home page, she or he should click on Programs. At Programs, click on On-line Applications. At On-line Applications, click on two links on this page: first, Certification Program Handbook.pdf, and then Certification Program Applications Packet.pdf. These two links will provide the applicant with both the necessary application forms and a 15-page information handbook. Applicants can also obtain an application form in one of the following ways: by calling the Customer Service Department at 1-215-349-8767 Ext. 476 and requesting an application be sent, by faxing a written request for an application to CGFNS in Philadelphia, PA at 1-215-349-0026; after February 3, 2003, the applicant can complete the application on line at www.cgfns.org.

    Q. How Can I Learn How to Complete and File the Application Form?

    A. The applicant handbook, entitled Path to CGFNS Certification: Applicant Handbook will tell the applicant how to complete the various application forms. After the applicant provides the information on the application form titled Application For the CGFNS Certification Program, that form, together with a money order or cashier's check in the amount of US$295.00 should be sent by International Air Mail or other air-mail service to CGFNS at the following address:

    CGFNS Certification Program

    3600 Market Street, Suite 400

    Philadelphia, PA 19104

    The form titled Request For Validation Of Registration/License For Certification Program should be mailed or delivered to the licensing agency in China. The licensing agency provides the required information and then sends it to CGFNS. CGFNS must receive the form directly from the licensing agency and not from the applicant or any other person.

    The form titled Nursing Education Form: Certification Program is sent to the nursing school. The school provides the required information and then sends the form to CGFNS. CGFNS must receive the form directly from the nursing school and not from the applicant or any other person.

    The applicant should contact the licensing agency and the nursing school to inform them that the CGFNS forms will be arriving and what it is they will need to do to complete the forms and return them to the CGFNS office.

    Q. What Action is Taken by CGFNS Upon Receipt of Application Form.

    A. Once CGFNS receives the application and the fee for the exam, the applicant will be sent, free of charge, the CGFNS Official Study Guide for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. This comprehensive study guide will help prepare the applicant for both the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and the NCLEX-RN (state licensing exam). It includes information about how the exam is organized and includes four practice tests (plus three more practice exams on a computer disc) totaling over 1000 questions with rationales for both the correct and incorrect answers.

    Once CGFNS receives and reviews the application and required documents it has received, a decision is made as to whether the nurse qualifies to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. CGFNS notifies the applicant about this decision. If the nurse is qualified to take the exam, he or she will receive the test permit that contains the location of the test site via regular mail about 2 weeks before the exam is to be given.

    Q. Will it ever be Possible to Apply for the Qualifying Exam Online?

    A. Yes. On February 3, 2003, CGFNS is launching a new, interactive portion of its website. After February 3, applicants will be able to apply on line and will be able to check the status of his or her file on-line at CGFNS' web site. We will also investigate the possibility of having the NEEA website, www.51test.com, be Linked directly to the CGFNS website.