Prepare for a C&P exam by confirming the appointment, reviewing the condition being examined, checking the timeline in your records, and choosing a few truthful examples of how symptoms affect ordinary life. Do not memorize a speech or try to predict the examiner's exact questions.

VA calls this a claim exam. Its purpose is to gather information for the claim decision, not to provide treatment.

Confirm the appointment, or reschedule early

VA or its contractor will send a letter and may call or email. Call the number on the letter to confirm the place and time. When you confirm, you can ask for transportation help or other accommodations.

If you need to reschedule, tell the VA medical center or contractor at least 48 hours ahead, according to VA's claim exam page. A contractor exam can be rescheduled only once, and the new date must fall within 5 days of the original; if you are not available in that window, tell the contractor and call VA.

Missing an exam has consequences set by 38 C.F.R. § 3.655. These rules apply when VA cannot establish or confirm entitlement without the exam and you miss it without good cause. In that situation, VA rates an original compensation claim on the evidence already in the file. For a claim for increase, a Supplemental Claim for a benefit VA previously denied, or any other original claim, the regulation says the claim "shall be denied." VA's examples of good cause include a death in your immediate family, homelessness, hospitalization, and terminal illness. If you miss an exam, explain why by phone, a letter uploaded through the claim status tool, or mail.

Know which condition is being examined

If the claim includes several conditions, confirm which ones this appointment covers. Review the current diagnosis, treatment, major tests, and the period of onset or worsening that matters.

VA says the examiner may ask questions based on your records and the Disability Benefits Questionnaire, or DBQ, for each condition. Public DBQs are on VA's DBQ page, and they show which topics an exam for your condition may cover.

Build a one-page preparation sheet

Write short notes for your own recall:

  • condition and current treatment;
  • when symptoms began or worsened;
  • typical frequency, duration, and severity in your own words;
  • what a difficult day looks like;
  • two ordinary activities affected;
  • flares, if they occur, including triggers and recovery;
  • assistive devices or accommodations you actually use;
  • important record dates;
  • anything you are unsure of, so you say so instead of guessing.

Use the sheet to remember, then answer the question the examiner actually asks.

Choose functional examples, not rating phrases

"My back is severe" is broad. A useful example sounds like this: "On a typical grocery trip I lean on the cart, stop near the middle of the store, and need help carrying bags up one flight of stairs."

The example shows activity, distance, adaptation, and help without claiming a rating. 38 C.F.R. § 4.10 ties evaluation to how a disability affects ordinary activity and work.

Submit new records before the appointment

VA says you do not need to bring anything to the exam. New non-VA medical records should be submitted before the appointment, because the examiner may read records you bring but cannot submit them for you. What to bring and what to submit before you go lists the submission routes and a packing check.

On the day

  • Arrive 15 minutes early; VA says a late arrival can lead the provider to cancel.
  • Wear comfortable clothes so you can move freely.
  • Use glasses, hearing aids, braces, or mobility aids as you normally do.
  • Stop a movement when pain or safety tells you to, and say so.
  • Ask what is happening if you do not understand part of the exam.

An exam may take 15 minutes or an hour or more, depending on the conditions and what VA needs. The provider also reviews your records outside the appointment, so a short exam does not by itself mean the report will be incomplete. The examiner cannot tell you the result or decide the claim.

After the exam

Write down the date, location, conditions discussed, tests performed, and anything you think was missed, while it is fresh.

You cannot get the result at the appointment or from the provider. To see the final report, request it with VA Form 20-10206, online, by mail to the Evidence Intake Center, or in person at a regional office. How to request your C&P exam report covers the request step by step. Compare it with your notes and records. A difference does not automatically prove an error, but it gives you a specific point to raise. If the report gets a fact wrong, C&P exam report errors shows how to document the exact disagreement.

The adequacy of an exam matters later. In Claim Raven's analysis of 2024 to 2025 Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, the Board found the VA exam inadequate in 38,115 condition records. Where that finding was tied to the outcome (27,680 records), 78.0% were remanded, meaning sent back for more work rather than decided. A remand is not a grant, and these are already-disputed appeals, so the figure describes a pattern, not your odds. The case breakdown of an inadequate C&P exam remand shows what the Board looks for. If you had a bad experience with the examiner, VA encourages you to report it promptly.

For how the exam fits into the rest of the claim, see Claim Raven's claims guide chapter on the C&P examination.

Claim Raven's C&P Exam Prep gives condition-specific topics, recall prompts, and a day-of checklist; you can start with a free account, and the paid features come with Standard. Claim Raven sells the tool and has a commercial interest in it.

Sources and scope

Checked September 23, 2026: VA claim exam page (last updated August 15, 2025); VA Form 20-10206; VA public DBQs; 38 C.F.R. § 3.655; 38 C.F.R. § 4.10. Your appointment notice and current VA instructions control. The grocery example is fictional.