Preparing for your VA claim exam

What the claim exam is

When you file a disability claim, VA may ask you to have a claim exam, also called a compensation and pension (C&P) exam. It helps VA decide whether a condition is connected to your service and how severe it is. It is not a treatment visit: the examiner won't treat you, refer you or prescribe medicine.

Not every claim needs one

VA asks for an exam only when it needs more information to decide your claim. If your file already has enough medical evidence, VA may review your records instead of scheduling an exam; VA calls this Acceptable Clinical Evidence. You may also have more than one exam: for several conditions (VA tries to schedule them on the same day), for a later review exam, or after you ask VA to review a decision. Some exams are held by phone or video from home.

How VA schedules it

You can't schedule a claim exam yourself. Your local VA medical center or a VA contractor contacts you, usually by a letter with the date and time, and sometimes by phone or email. Confirm the appointment using the number on the letter.

Before your exam

• VA says you don't need to bring anything to the exam.
• If you have new medical records from outside VA, such as from a recent surgery or illness, submit them to VA before the appointment. If you bring them instead, the examiner may look at them but can't submit them for you.
• Plan to arrive 15 minutes early. If you're late, the exam may be canceled.
• An exam can take as little as 15 minutes, or an hour or more.
• Read through your own records beforehand, so you can describe your symptoms, treatment history and daily limitations clearly.

Describing your symptoms honestly

The examiner needs an accurate picture of how each condition affects you over time, not only on the day of the exam. Be ready to describe, truthfully and in your own words:

• how often your symptoms happen,
• how severe they are,
• how long they last, and
• how they affect work, sleep, family life and everyday tasks.

If your symptoms change from day to day, describe what a typical day is like and what your bad days are like, and roughly how often the bad days happen. Don't describe your worst day as if it were every day, and don't play your symptoms down either. A specific, honest description is what helps VA understand your condition.

If you need to reschedule

Tell the VA medical center or contractor at least 48 hours before the exam, using the number on your appointment letter. Rescheduling may delay your claim. If a contractor scheduled the exam, you can reschedule only once, and the new appointment must be within 5 days of the original. If that doesn't work for you, tell the contractor, then contact VA.

If you miss your exam

Missing an exam can delay your claim. The federal rules below apply when VA can't decide the claim without the exam and you miss it without a good reason. When they apply, what happens depends on the kind of claim:

• For a first claim for disability compensation, VA rates the claim on the evidence it already has.
• For a claim for an increase, a supplemental claim for something VA denied before, and certain other claims, the rules say the claim is denied.
• For a review exam on an existing rating, separate notice and response procedures apply before VA changes payments. Contact VA promptly and follow the instructions in its notice.

If you had a good reason, tell VA. Examples VA gives include hospitalization, illness, a death in your immediate family and homelessness; when VA accepts the reason, it schedules a new exam. You can explain by phone, by uploading a letter in the claim status tool on VA.gov, or by mail, using the details on VA's claim exam page.

Travel, and bringing someone with you

• VA pays back travel to and from a claim exam at a VA medical center. If a contractor holds the exam, the contractor handles travel pay; if it hasn't arrived within 14 days, call the contractor. Active-duty service members and people who live outside the U.S. and its territories aren't eligible for travel reimbursement.
• If you'd like a family member or caregiver with you, talk to the examiner. They may be asked to wait outside the exam room. You can ask for a chaperone for a sensitive physical exam.

After the exam

The exam is one part of the evidence. Before deciding, VA also reviews your medical records, any test results, statements from you and others, and your military medical and personnel records. You won't get results at the exam or from the examiner. To get a copy of the exam report, submit VA Form 20-10206, a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request, online, by mail or in person.

How GMAC can help

In a one-on-one video consultation, GMAC can go over what the examination may cover, and how to describe your actual symptoms, treatment history, functional limitations and daily-life impact truthfully and accurately. GMAC is a private company. It is not the VA and is not VA-accredited, and no outcome is guaranteed. Applying for VA benefits is free, and accredited Veterans Service Organization representatives help at no charge. Read the full disclaimer.

Related guide: Reading your VA decision letter.

Sources

Checked October 22, 2026:

• VA claim exam (C&P exam), VA.gov, last updated August 15, 2025
• VA Form 20-10206, VA.gov
• 38 CFR 3.655, failure to report for an exam