Compensation and Pension Exam – How to Prepare

The Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exam is a step in the application process for VA Disability Compensation. It is performed by a VA physician to determine the legitimacy and severity of a claimant’s condition(s). Essentially, this exam will establish the veteran’s disability rating. You will only be required to go to a C&P exam if there is not enough information/evidence for a clear determination.

What to Expect

This exam will not be similar to a regular doctor’s appointment. The VA physician will not be there to treat your conditions or diagnose any problems on the spot. Instead, he/she will review your claim and ask questions about your medical conditions using the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). This is utilized to obtain any further information that the VA will need to make a disability determination. The C&P exam may vary depending on the number of conditions being claimed, the type of condition, and the amount of information needed.

How to Prepare

First and foremost, do not miss your C&P exam. This will unnecessarily delay the claim as you will have to wait for a new appointment to be scheduled. Even worse, the VA may just rate your claim with the information they have on hand. If that information is insufficient, it will negatively affect your disability rating.

Have all medical records prepared and with you at the exam. Most evidence will have already been submitted to the VA; but, this is still a very important step. The examining doctor may need to pull information from these records. Moreover, you may have had recent appointments or surgery from a private physician that produced new records.

Be proactive at the C&P Exam. If you think a condition has been overlooked or the examining doctor is missing a critical piece of information, speak up. It is better to be safe than sorry in these situations. In the event that the C&P report is still lacking or has confounding information, you will be required to go to another exam.

Veterans interested in applying for VA Disability Compensation or Social Security Disability with the help of Victory Disability should call 1-866-350-7229. To determine if you are eligible for SSDI benefits, complete our Social Security Disability Evaluation.