Overview
A Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is a medical examination the VA uses to evaluate the severity of your claimed conditions. It's one of the most important steps in the claims process — your rating often depends heavily on this exam.
When You'll Get One
The VA schedules C&P exams when:
- You file a new disability claim
- You file for an increase in an existing rating
- The VA needs more information to make a decision
- You have a future re-examination scheduled
Not every claim requires a C&P exam. If your evidence is already sufficient, the VA may rate you without one.
How to Prepare
Before the Exam
- Review your medical records — Know your history and be ready to discuss it
- Read the relevant Disability Benefit Questionnaire (DBQ) — This is the form the examiner fills out. Knowing what they're measuring helps you understand what to communicate
- Write down your symptoms — Include your worst days, not just average days
- Bring a list of medications — Current medications and any side effects
- Don't minimize your symptoms — Many veterans instinctively downplay pain or limitations. Describe your condition as it actually is on your worst days.
During the Exam
- Be honest — Exaggerating hurts your credibility; minimizing hurts your rating
- Describe functional impact — Don't just say "my knee hurts." Say "my knee pain prevents me from standing for more than 10 minutes, I can't climb stairs without assistance, and it wakes me up at night"
- Mention flare-ups — If your condition gets worse periodically, describe the frequency, duration, and severity
- The exam is NOT treatment — The examiner is evaluating you, not treating you. They may seem rushed or impersonal. This is normal.
What the Examiner Is Looking For
The examiner evaluates your conditions against the VA Rating Schedule criteria. They typically assess:
- Range of motion (measured with a goniometer for joint conditions)
- Pain — where it starts, what triggers it, how it limits function
- Functional limitations — what you can't do because of the condition
- Frequency and severity of symptoms
- Whether the condition is related to your service (nexus)
After the Exam
- The examiner sends their report to the VA
- A Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR) uses the report to assign your rating
- You can request a copy of your C&P exam report through your VA.gov account or by requesting your C-file
Dealing with a Bad Exam
Sometimes exams are inadequate — the examiner may be dismissive, spend too little time, or produce a report that doesn't reflect what happened.
What you can do:
- Document everything — Write down what happened immediately after the exam (who examined you, how long it lasted, what they did/didn't test)
- Request a new exam — If the exam was clearly inadequate, you can request a new one through your VSO or by contacting the VA
- Get a private medical opinion — An Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) from your own doctor can counter a bad C&P exam
- File a complaint — If the examiner was unprofessional, file a complaint with the VA
Key Tips
- Go to your exam — Not showing up almost always results in a denial
- Don't go on your best day — If you can reschedule to a day that better represents your typical condition, do so
- Bring someone with you if needed for support, though they usually can't be in the exam room
- Be consistent — Your exam statements should align with your medical records and personal statement