Claim Raven explanation
What this means
VA may arrange an examination when the evidence is not adequate to rate a claim. This rule also allows adequate hospital reports, examination reports, or private physician statements to be accepted without another examination.
A private report is not automatically inadequate because it came from outside VA, but it must contain enough information for the rating issue. If VA schedules an examination, this section requires you to report; other rules address missed examinations.
How this helps your claim
Compare the medical report with the questions VA needs answered. If information is missing, identify the gap clearly. Keep examination notices and communicate scheduling problems promptly instead of assuming a private report cancels an appointment.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Check whether the report addresses the diagnosis, relevant findings, and requested medical questions.
- Keep the examination notice and any rescheduling communications.
- Review whether VA explained why another examination or additional information was needed.
Check whether a report answers the rating question
An examination can be detailed yet omit a finding required for a particular diagnostic code. A report about diagnosis may not include the measurements, treatment history or functional findings needed to evaluate severity. Adequacy depends on the issue being decided.
Compare the report with the applicable criteria and identify concrete omissions. If a private report supplies the needed information, its source outside VA does not by itself answer whether it can be accepted. Keep the complete report, including test results and attachments, rather than only its conclusion.
Can I skip a scheduled exam because I submitted a private report?
Do not assume so. This section requires reporting when VA authorizes and schedules an examination, and separate rules address missed examinations. A disagreement about whether another exam is necessary should not be treated as cancellation of the appointment or assurance that missing it has no consequences.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 3.326
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 3.326 Examinations.
For purposes of this section, the term examination includes periods of hospital observation when required by VA.
(a) Where there is a claim for disability compensation or pension but medical evidence accompanying the claim is not adequate for rating purposes, a Department of Veterans Affairs examination will be authorized. This paragraph applies to original and supplemental claims as well as claims for increase submitted by a veteran, surviving spouse, parent, or child. Individuals for whom an examination has been scheduled are required to report for the examination.
(b) Provided that it is otherwise adequate for rating purposes, any hospital report, or any examination report, from any government or private institution may be accepted for rating a claim without further examination. However, monetary benefits to a former prisoner of war will not be denied unless the claimant has been offered a complete physical examination conducted at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital or outpatient clinic.
(c) Provided that it is otherwise adequate for rating purposes, a statement from a private physician may be accepted for rating a claim without further examination.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5107(a))
Cross Reference:
Failure to report for VA examination. See § 3.655.
[60 FR 52864, Oct. 11, 1995, as amended at 66 FR 45632, Aug. 29, 2001; 84 FR 170, Jan. 18, 2019]
Related references
- 38 CFR § 3.655: Missing a VA Exam and Good Cause
- 38 USC § 5107: Benefit of the doubt in VA claims
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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