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CARE ANYWHERE - THE GLOBAL HEALTH WORKFORCE PODCAST

Nurse Qualifying Exam (NQE)

Nurse Qualifying Exam (NQE)

A global exam for a global profession

Why take the NQE?
Eligibility
Exam Administration

Next test date

November 10-14, 2025

Application deadline: September 30, 2025

The NQE is delivered at Kryterion testing centers during four annual one-week testing windows. Test dates for 2026 will be announced soon.

*The price of the NQE is included in the fee the applicant pays for the credential or service that requires passing the exam. Additional fees for the NQE will not be assessed when they go through the process.

Download handbook

TruMerit’s Nurse Qualifying Exam is the first-ever global competency examination designed to measure the entry-to-practice applied knowledge, skills, and behaviors of first-level, general nurses against a global standard. Formerly the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, the examination was our flagship service, developed at our founding in 1977, and remains a critical requirement in several of our credential verification and evaluation programs.

The rapid advance of healthcare technologies and nursing practice, along with the growing urgency of improving access to care for all populations worldwide, has necessitated the reinvention of the Qualifying Exam. In addition to modernizing and upgrading the examination to meet the challenges of an evolving profession, the newly updated NQE provides a shared global framework for validating the applied knowledge and practice competence of first-level, general nurses worldwide, thereby supporting portability of credentials across country borders and disciplinary boundaries.

Transforming the Qualifying Exam to the reinvented NQE took place in 2024-25 through a process involving participation, input, and collaboration from 73 nursing experts in 50 countries. Under TruMerit’s guidance, these experts developed and agreed upon a global set of standards, which form the basis for the NQE.

Why take the NQE?

  • To get TruMerit’s newest credential—Certified Global Nurse (CGN).
    With its universally agreed-upon framework and set of standards with which to assess nursing competence, TruMerit has repurposed the Nurse Qualifying Exam from a solely U.S.-bound exam to support a new global certification process for nurses—the Certified Global Nurse (CGN)—a groundbreaking approach offering a measure of consistency for all nurses worldwide. Going forward, the NQE will support this portable credential, signifying role recognition and work readiness on an international scale. Equipped with the CGN, nurses will have more mobility within the profession and across geopolitical boundaries throughout their career. Learn more about the Certified Global Nurse credential.

Exam Eligibility

The NQE is for first-level, general nurses* who wish to have their applied nursing knowledge and competencies recognized as meeting a global standard. Eligibility depends on which program you are applying to.

  • For the Certified Global Nurse credential, applicants must show that they have completed first-level, general nursing education and have a current, active nursing registration or license.
  • For the TruMerit (CGFNS) Certification Program, candidates must provide evidence of their secondary and nursing education, licensure, and English language proficiency.
  • For the International Standards for Professional Nurses (ISPN)® program, applicants must have completed first-level, general nursing education.
  • For the VisaScreen: Visa Credentials Assessment, applicants must show that they have completed first-level, general nursing education and have a current, active nursing registration or license—as well as have evidence of passing an English language proficiency test.

*In most countries, including the United States, a first-level nurse is called a registered nurse or a professional nurse. If you are a second-level nurse in your native country, you cannot sit for the NQE. In most countries, second-level nurses are called enrolled nurses, vocational nurses, practical nurses, or nursing assistants.

Download the NQE examination handbook 

Any nurse who is directed by a TruMerit program to sit for the Nurse Qualifying Exam should download the exam handbook. This publication provides comprehensive information on what the NQE is and how to prepare for it, including topics covered and the competency framework used in developing the questions on the exam. It also has sample questions and answers.

Exam administration 

The Nurse Qualifying Exam is a proctored, computer-based exam that will be administered in person in more than 120 countries through the Kryterion global network of test centers. Candidates can search for nearby test centers at the Kryterion website.

Registration to take the NQE is part of the application process for the program or service that includes passage of the exam as a requirement or option (see above). To begin an application for one of those programs, click here.

Registering for the NQE 

How a candidate registers for the NQE will depend on which program they are applying for. All candidates will first need to create an account through the TruMerit Connect (formerly CGFNS Connect) online applicant portal, through which all correspondence with TruMerit can be accessed. There is no cost to create an account.

  1. Go to TruMerit.org and click the “Apply” button located on the home page and follow the steps to establish your account and complete your personal profile.
  2. Use the service selector in your account to select a program to purchase—VisaScreen, the TruMerit (CGFNS) Certification Program, the ISPN Program, or the Certified Global Nurse credential.
  3. Submit all the required documentation and information for your selected program.

Once you have purchased a service and all your application materials have been reviewed and accepted by TruMerit, you will receive an Authorization-to-Test notification that contains detailed information about test administration for the Nurse Qualifying Exam, including availability at Kryterion test centers and instructions for how to register for your exam and schedule a date and time for it.

Go to TruMerit Connect and begin the process

NQE exam blueprint

The following is a guide to the competency domains that will be tested for on the NQE. The full competency framework can be found in the exam handbook.

Standards Domains Domain % Subdomains Subdomain %
Standard I:
Professional Attributes		 Domain 1: Patients, Families, Communities, & Professionalism 14% Sub A: Patient & Family Advocacy
Sub B: Population Health 		6%
8%
Domain 2: Ethics 6% Sub A: Ethics 6%
Domain 3: Leadership & Personal Responsibility 5% Sub A: Personal Traits
Sub B: Colleagues & Work Environment
Sub C: Health Policy 		1%
2%
2%
Domain 4: Education & Research 10% Sub A: Education
Sub B: Research & Data 		5%
5%
Domain 5: Technology & Innovation 5% Sub A: Technology & Innovation 5%
Domain Total % 40% 40%
Standard II:
Nursing Care & Interventions		 Domain 6: Health Promotion & Maintenance 20% Sub A: Reproduction, Pregnancy, & Well-Child Care
Sub B: Adult Care & Rehabilitation
Sub C: End of Life Care 		4%
11%
5%
Domain 7: Physiological Integrity 30% Sub A: Basic Care & Comfort
Sub B: Pharmacological & Parenteral Therapies
Sub C: Physical Adaptation
Sub D: Medical Waste
Sub E: Human Nutrition & Elimination 		10%
9%
5%
1%
5%
Domain 8: Emergency & Disaster Management 10% Sub A: Emergency & Disaster Management
Sub B: Critical Incidents 		9%
1%
Domain Total % 60% 60%
Blueprint Total % 100% 100%

Frequently asked questions

1. What are the steps to schedule the Nurse Qualifying Exam?

After you have been approved to take the Nurse Qualifying Exam, you will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) email containing instructions about how to schedule your testing appointment.

2. What are the required steps once I go to the page where I can schedule my testing appointment?

Once you have entered your TruMerit ID number and password where requested, please follow these steps:

  1. Select “Register for an Exam.”
  2. Click on the “+” sign to the left of Nurse Qualifying Exam.
  3. Click on “Get Now” which will be highlighted next to the testing window for which you are authorized to test.
  4. Select your country and/or city to determine the location of the closest exam centers.
  5. Check the box next to the available testing location(s) where you would like to test and click on “Next.”
  6. After you have selected an exam center, you will be shown a calendar listing available test dates at that center.
  7. Navigate to the month of the exam in which you are interested. Available test dates will be highlighted in bold. If no test dates are listed, it may be that the exam center has no vacancies or is closed during the period of the test window selected.
  8. Select a date and time on the calendar for which you wish to sit for the Nurse Qualifying Exam and confirm your selection.

3. May I change my exam date or location once I have made a selection?

Yes. Any changes must be made no later than five (5) business days prior to the beginning of the testing window. Changes must be made directly in Webassessor.

4. I am no longer able to test during my approved testing window. May I change to a new testing window?

Yes. You may purchase a “Qualifying Exam Testing Window Change Fee” to select the next available testing window.

5. I was unable to appear for my scheduled testing appointment. Can I get a refund?

No. If you do not show up for your scheduled exam, you are not eligible for a refund and you will be required to pay a “Re-Examination Fee” to schedule an appointment for the Nurse Qualifying Exam in the future.

The TruMerit Qualifying Exam is administered in collaboration with Kryterion, which has a global network of testing locations. To find out if there are any testing centers near you, go the Kryterion location database.

Please note: Some test centers may not be available during TruMerit Qualifying Exam test windows.

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