Getting a letter about your exam from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can raise a lot of questions. You've filed your claim, and now a provider you've never met will look at your health. For most claims, the compensation and pension (C&P) exam is the single most important step.
Why the C&P exam matters so much
The VA has to answer two questions. First, is your condition connected to your military service, which the VA calls service connection? Second, how much does it affect your life? That answer sets your disability rating.
The examiner's report speaks to both. The VA treats it as major evidence, along with your service and medical records, and the VA employee who decides your claim (called a rater) leans on it heavily. Being scheduled is normal. We explain what it does and doesn't signal in is a C&P exam a good sign for your VA disability claim.
Examiners often record findings on a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ), a standard form for a type of condition. Its questions line up with the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities, found in 38 CFR Part 4 on the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, which sets the criteria for each rating level. The examiner may also give an opinion on whether your condition is "at least as likely as not" tied to your service.
Who does the VA exam
A VA provider may do your exam: a doctor, nurse practitioner, psychologist, or audiologist. Or a contracted examiner may, meaning a provider working for a company the VA hires. Your appointment notice will say who and where.
Either way, the examiner is there to evaluate you, not treat you. If the name is confusing, our guide to what C&P means walks through it.
Formats can vary
Your exam may happen in one of three ways:
- In person. You visit a VA facility or a contractor's office.
- Telehealth. You meet by video, which is more common for some exams, such as mental health.
- Records review. The examiner decides your records hold enough, so there's no visit. The VA calls this an Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE) exam.
The VA describes each format on its C&P exam page at VA.gov.
What to expect at a C&P exam
Length depends on the condition, but most exams follow a similar pattern.
- The examiner confirms who you are and which conditions they're checking.
- They ask about your history, including when symptoms started, what happened in service, and your treatment.
- They ask how symptoms affect work, sleep, and daily life.
- They do any physical checks needed. For a back claim, they may measure how far you can bend, called range of motion.
Some examiners have read your file closely; others haven't. That's one reason your preparation matters.
Picture a veteran with a back injury from a vehicle accident in service. He's had a good week, so he says he's "doing okay." He doesn't mention the mornings he can't bend to put on his socks, so the report captures only the good week.
How to prepare for a C&P exam
- Review your own records. Know the dates of key injuries, diagnoses, and treatments.
- Think through your timeline. Note when symptoms started and worsened.
- Know how it affects your life. Think about missed workdays, tasks you've stopped doing, lost sleep, and help you need from family.
- Describe your bad days. Explain how often flare-ups happen, how long they last, and what you can't do during them, not only how you feel that morning.
- Be honest, and don't downplay. Many veterans are used to pushing through pain. Say what's true, without stretching or shrinking it.
- Bring notes if it helps. A short list of symptoms, medicines, and examples keeps you on track. It's fine to read from it.
For more C&P exam tips, see 10 tips for your VA compensation and pension exam. Some conditions need extra prep; our sleep apnea service connection guide covers one.
If you can't make your exam
A missed C&P exam can hurt your claim. VA rules (38 CFR 3.655, on the eCFR) explain what happens when a veteran doesn't show up without good cause; generally, the VA may decide on less evidence. Read the current rule or ask the VA how it applies to you.
If you can't go, contact the office on your notice as soon as possible and ask to reschedule, or call the VA at 800-827-1000. If you already missed it, call, explain, and ask for a new exam.
Keep your address and phone number current with the VA. Notices often go missing after a move.
After the exam: request your exam report
If a VA provider did your exam, the notes may appear in My HealtheVet. For any exam, you can request a copy with VA Form 20-10206, the VA's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act request form.
Read it closely. Check the dates, your symptoms, and your examples. If something's wrong or missing, write it down; it can matter if you add evidence or disagree with a decision. Our compensation and pension exam guide explains what usually comes next.
Prepare with a Turnout veterans advocate
You don't have to prepare alone. A Turnout veterans advocate helps you describe your full story to the examiner, including your worst days, in clear, honest words. Read more about how a Turnout advocate takes the burden off you.
Not sure what else you may qualify for? Radar, Turnout's free benefits scan, checks you against dozens of federal and state programs in a few minutes.
Today, write down what your worst day looks like with each condition you've claimed. Then bring that list to a conversation with a Turnout veterans advocate. It's your turn. Get started.