The Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam is one of the most important appointments of your VA claims process. The examiner writes a nexus opinion and rates your condition. That report becomes the foundation VA uses to assign your disability percentage. Getting it wrong costs you money — potentially thousands of dollars per month, for life. Here is how to get it right.
Rule 1: Describe your worst day, not your average day
This is the most important prep tip and the most commonly violated one. Veterans are conditioned by military culture to downplay pain and function. In a C&P exam, that instinct will hurt you. The examiner is not your buddy — they are writing a report that determines your rating. When they ask how your knee affects your daily life, don’t say “it bothers me sometimes.” Describe the days when you can’t walk the stairs. Describe the nights you can’t sleep. Describe the activities you’ve given up. Your worst days are part of your reality — report them.
Rule 2: Bring documentation
Don’t show up empty-handed. Bring: your buddy statements (lay evidence from fellow servicemembers or family members who witnessed your injury or ongoing limitations); a personal statement you have written about how your condition affects your daily function; any private medical records that show treatment for the condition; and your service records if you have access to them. The examiner may or may not review them in full, but having them shows you’re serious and provides a paper trail if you need to appeal.
Rule 3: Don’t agree with minimizing language
Examiners sometimes use range-of-motion tests to assess orthopedic conditions. Know this: the rating schedule for most joint conditions uses specific degree thresholds. If your knee flexion is limited to 90 degrees, that’s a 10% rating. If it’s limited to 60 degrees, that’s 20%. Don’t push through pain to demonstrate range of motion you don’t comfortably have. Move to the point where pain stops you and say so clearly. “I can go to about here, but then it’s painful” is a legitimate medical finding, not weakness.
Rule 4: Get all your conditions examined
If you have multiple service-connected conditions being evaluated, make sure the examiner addresses all of them. Examiners sometimes focus on the primary claim and give secondary conditions cursory attention. At the end of the exam, confirm that every condition on your claim was addressed. If something was skipped, note it and raise it with your VSO or claims representative immediately.
After the exam: get the DBQ
You are entitled to a copy of the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) the examiner completes. Request it. Read it carefully. If the examiner’s characterization of your condition doesn’t match what you reported — if they wrote “mild” when you described severe functional limitation — that is a basis for a supplemental claim or appeal. The DBQ is the document. Know what it says before VA uses it to make a decision.