What a C&P exam is for
If you file a VA disability claim, VA may schedule a claim exam, widely known as a Compensation and Pension exam, or C&P exam. Its purpose is specific. The exam helps VA determine whether your condition is connected to your service and how severe it is, which feeds your disability rating.
Two facts set expectations right away. The exam may be conducted by a VA provider or by a VA contractor, and VA says both follow the same standards. And the exam is not a hurdle you pay for. In most instances you are entitled to a no-cost disability examination by VA, and any tests VA orders as part of it are at no cost to you.
This guide is education, not coaching. We will tell you honestly how the exam works so you can walk in prepared. We will not tell you what to say, because your answers should describe your actual condition.
Before the exam
The most useful thing you can do before the exam involves your records. VA says to submit any new non-VA medical records before your appointment. If you bring records to the exam, the claim examiner may review them but cannot submit them into your claim for you, and a private health care provider may separately complete and submit a public DBQ. If a private doctor has findings that matter to your claim, get those to VA ahead of time rather than assuming the examiner will have them.
Beyond that, plan the logistics: know the date, time, and place, and give yourself margin so you are not rushed. VA also asks you to keep your contact information current so it can reach you, to confirm the appointment using the number on your exam letter, and, if you must reschedule, to tell the VA medical center or contractor at least 48 hours in advance. Plan the records step early, because gathering outside medical evidence can take time, and once the exam happens the examiner works from what is already in the file plus what they observe that day.
During the exam
The exam is built around collecting the medical information VA needs to rate your condition. Depending on what you claimed, it may include:
| Part of the exam | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Questions | Structured, questionnaire-driven questions about your condition and how it affects you |
| A basic physical | A hands-on examination when the condition calls for it |
| Ordered tests | Additional tests VA orders as part of the exam, at no cost |
How long it lasts depends on the condition. VA says an exam can run from about 15 minutes to more than an hour.
Two things about the exam are worth expecting. First, it may be shorter than you expect, and a short exam is not a sign that your claim was taken lightly, since the examiner is documenting specific findings rather than holding a long conversation. Second, if the examiner orders tests, those are part of the exam and come at no cost to you. You do not pay for the C&P exam or the tests VA orders as part of it.
Here is the one rule that matters most: answer the examiner's questions truthfully based on your actual condition. The examiner is documenting how your condition actually affects you, so an accurate and complete account is what serves you. This guide does not recommend wording, select a day to emphasize, or script your exam answers.
After the exam
You may request a copy of the final exam report. VA says you cannot get the results at your exam or directly from the provider. The report is one of the records you can request about yourself, and the way to get it is a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request using VA Form 20-10206. The exam report is sometimes called a disability examination, and it appears on VA's list of requestable personal records alongside your claims file and your compensation and pension records.
Requesting the report after your exam lets you check that the findings match what you described, which is useful whether your claim is granted, denied, or you are weighing a review.
Getting a copy of the report is not just for problem cases. The report is what the examiner actually wrote about your condition, and it is one of the personal records you can request about yourself. If the findings match what you described, you have peace of mind. If they do not, you know exactly where the record and your experience diverge, which is useful whether you are waiting on a decision or considering a review later. Because you are responsible for getting your own non-VA medical evidence in front of VA before the exam, that is one part of the process you fully control.
What if you miss it
Life happens, but a missed exam has consequences. If you do not attend, VA may decide your claim based on the evidence already on file, which may not fully capture your condition. If you had good cause for missing the appointment, the exam can be rescheduled. If you know in advance you cannot make it, contact VA rather than simply not showing up.
A hypothetical example
This is a made-up illustration, not a promise about any real case.
Dev is a hypothetical veteran claiming a back condition. Before his exam he sends VA the recent MRI report from his private clinic so it is in the file ahead of time. At the exam, the examiner asks questionnaire-driven questions and does a short physical, and it takes about 40 minutes. Dev answers truthfully about how his back actually affects him. Afterward he files a request using VA Form 20-10206 to get a copy of the exam report so he can see what was documented. Nothing here scripts his answers. It just puts the real picture in front of the people who decide his claim.
What this does not mean
The examiner does not decide your claim at the appointment. The C&P exam gathers medical findings, and those findings feed VA's decision during the rating step of your claim. Treat the exam as your chance to put an accurate, complete picture on the record, then let VA's decision process do its job. Getting a copy of the report afterward is how you confirm what was actually written.
The official VA pathway
Read VA's claim exam page, linked in the citations, so you know what to expect, and submit any outside records before your appointment. To understand how the findings turn into a rating, see our service connection evidence guide and our decision letter guide. VeteranHQ helps you understand the process and organize your evidence. We do not prepare or file your VA claims, and we do not script exam answers.