C&P exam basics
A C&P or claim exam gathers information VA may use to decide a claim. It is generally not treatment, the examiner does not decide the claim, and the official notice controls the appointment.
Overview
A Compensation and Pension examination, commonly called a C&P exam or claim exam, gathers medical information VA may use when deciding a disability claim. It may involve questions, an examination, records review, a Disability Benefits Questionnaire, or an assigned medical opinion. The examiner gathers information; VA decides The appointment is generally not treatment. The examiner does not grant service connection, assign the final percentage or effective date, decide which evidence controls, or promise an outcome.
Do this now
Use the official notice to confirm the condition or examination involved. Confirm date, time, time zone, location, telehealth instructions, and scheduler. Record the notice phone number and current rescheduling instructions. Ask promptly about transportation, accessibility, language, communication, or safety accommodations. Verify an unexpected caller or message against the notice or VA's current claim-exam page.
Why VA may request an exam
Whether a current disability exists. The current severity or functional effects of a condition. A medical question about direct or secondary service connection or aggravation. A conflict or missing medical detail in the existing record. Not every claim requires an in-person appointment. VA may decide the existing evidence is sufficient or use an Acceptable Clinical Evidence review based mainly on records, sometimes with follow-up questions. VA initiates scheduling when it determines an exam or review is needed. An exam request is not a decision Scheduling means VA is developing information it considers necessary. It does not establish that the claim will be granted or denied and does not identify the eventual rating.
Who may conduct the exam
The appointment may be with a VA clinician or a qualified clinician working for a VA examination contractor. It may be in person, by video, or for some reviews mainly from records. Some assignments call for a specialist. Confirm the assigned organization using the notice and current official sources; a contractor listing is not a VA endorsement for other services. Keep the claim-exam role separate from treatment and adjudication. Role What the role does What it does not do Claim examiner Addresses the medical questions and findings in the assigned exam order. Does not personally issue the VA decision or provide ordinary ongoing treatment through this appointment. Treating clinician Provides medical care and maintains treatment records. Does not automatically control VA's adjudication or the claim-exam assignment. VA adjudicator Reviews the report with the rest of the record and issues the decision. Does not turn every examiner statement into an automatic outcome without reviewing the whole record.
Protect scheduling and identity information
Compare the caller or message with the official notice. Never provide a VA.gov password, multifactor code, or banking information. Call the notice number or an official VA number when uncertain. Keep contact information current with VA. Follow the current notice when rescheduling because instructions can differ.
If you cannot attend
Do not ignore the notice. Contact the scheduler immediately, explain the reason, and ask what happens next. Missing an exam may delay the claim or cause VA to decide from the existing record; consequences depend on the claim and circumstances. Keep the contact date, office, person, reason, and new instructions.
What may happen during the appointment
Review of records in the claims file. Questions about onset, history, treatment, current symptoms, ordinary activities, and employment. Questions associated with the assigned public Disability Benefits Questionnaire or medical issue. Physical or mental-health examination and relevant measurements or tests. A medical opinion responding to the specific question VA assigned. Length alone does not establish adequacy The clinician may review records before or after meeting you. A short or difficult interaction is not automatically inadequate. Evaluate concrete history, findings, functional effects, assigned questions, and the final report rather than appointment length alone.
Records and information
Review your own history before the appointment. VA says new non-VA records should be separately submitted before the appointment when possible. The examiner may review a copy you bring, but cannot submit it to VA for you. Save separate upload or submission proof and never assume a hand-delivered page entered the claims file.
Answer in your own words
Describe the typical pattern and meaningful fluctuations. Say when you do not know or cannot remember. Separate what you experienced from what a clinician diagnosed. Explain treatment response, side effects, assistive devices, adaptations, and recovery. Tell the examiner if movement is painful or unsafe and ask when a step is unclear. Do not minimize, exaggerate, or present an isolated worst day as every day.
After the exam
Write a private factual note Record date, format, provider, condition, approximate time, major questions or tests, records discussed, and any specific accommodation or factual concern. Wait for the final report The examiner sends the report to VA. Do not treat your private note as the completed report. Request the report through the current route VA currently points to VA Form 20-10206 or an accredited representative with file access. The examiner or contractor generally does not release the final report directly. Focus on concrete issues If something seems wrong, identify the exact history, record, measurement, flare-up, assigned question, explanation, or attributed statement involved.
Use C&P education in Pathfinder
Start with C&P Exam Intro Review roles, scheduling, records, honest pattern reporting, and safety boundaries. The process is clear without predicting the order, questions, or result. Continue to condition-scoped preparation Use only the public guide or DBQ possibility Pathfinder identifies and keep the actual notice and exam order controlling. Preparation stays relevant without presenting a generic DBQ as the actual order. Treat practice as educational Practice listening, specificity, uncertainty, and correction. Do not use generated or deterministic prompts as a forecast or script. Your facts remain yours and every coaching message remains reviewable and rejectable.
Common mistakes to avoid
Ignoring an unfamiliar contractor contact without checking the official notice. Missing the appointment without contacting the scheduler. Sharing credentials or multifactor codes. Treating the examiner as a treating clinician. Memorizing a script or rating schedule. Assuming records handed to the examiner were submitted to VA. Asking the examiner to promise a rating. Declaring inadequacy based only on appointment length. Waiting months to record a specific factual concern.
When the exam process is unclear
When the exam process is unclear An unexpected contractor contacted me. Compare the contact with the official notice. Verify the organization through VA's current claim-exam page. Do not share credentials or banking information. Call the number on the official notice when the contact cannot be verified. I cannot attend the scheduled appointment. Contact the scheduler immediately. Record the reason and current instructions. Preserve any new appointment details. Follow the notice-specific rescheduling process rather than ignoring the appointment. I gave the examiner a new record. Check whether you separately submitted it through the official route. Save the exact file and receipt. Do not assume examiner review equals VA filing. Use the official evidence-submission process if the record still needs to enter the claim file. I think the exam missed something important. Write a factual contemporaneous note. Obtain the final report when available. Identify the exact assigned question, record, finding, or statement at issue. Choose a correction path based on the actual report and whether VA has issued a decision; seek accredited claim-specific help if needed. Use the current VA claim-exam page and appointment notice for scheduling. Return to Pathfinder for education and organization only.
Official sources
Official sources VA: VA claim exam https://www.va.gov/resources/va-claim-exam/ Veterans Benefits Administration: Claim exam information https://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claimexam.asp VA Form 20-10206: Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act Request https://www.va.gov/forms/20-10206/ 38 CFR 4.2: Interpretation of examination reports https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/subpart-A/section-4.2
Related guidance
Related guidance Read Claim Raven's C&P exam guide /claims-guide/cp-exam Review evidence and submission boundaries /claims-guide/evidence Prepare without memorizing a script /help-center/claims-and-appeals/static-cp-exam-prepare-no-script Describe frequency, duration, severity, and impact /help-center/statements-and-scribe/static-frequency-duration-severity-functional-impact
More information
Return to your saved Pathfinder step Review the exam roles and your official notice, then organize your own facts without predicting the questions or result. Return to Pathfinder /guided-program