Was your C&P exam done right?
The Compensation and Pension exam is where a rating is often won or lost, and the difference usually comes down to small things: the right measurement taken the right way, your worst days written down, and a report that matches your records. Use this to get ready and to read your report afterward. Tick items as you go. Nothing here is saved to a server, and none of it is legal or medical advice.
Before your exam
Walk in knowing what is being measured and how you will describe it.
- Know which condition or conditions the exam covers, and whether it is for service connection, severity, or both.
- Read your decision letters and your service and private medical records so your answers line up.
- Skim the rating criteria for this condition so you can speak to what actually moves the percentage.
- Plan to describe your worst days, not your best, including how often flare ups hit and how long they last.
- Write a short one to two page symptom summary to bring with you.
- Bring your ID, the appointment notice, a current medication list, relevant test results, and any device you use, such as a cane, brace, CPAP, or hearing aids.
- Be honest and consistent. Do not minimize, and do not exaggerate.
The military published environmental monitoring summaries (POEMS) for many bases and deployment sites worldwide, across multiple decades. If one exists for where you served, bring it. An examiner who can read exactly what was detected writes a stronger report.
What the exam report should show
When you read your report, look for each of these. A gap can be a reason to question whether the exam was adequate.
- The right measurement device was used for this condition (see the device guide below).
- Range of motion was tested after repeated use, and pain, weakness, and fatigue were recorded.38 CFR 4.59
- For a joint, motion was measured active and passive, weight bearing and non weight bearing, and compared to the other side.38 CFR 4.59 (Correia)
- Flare ups were addressed, with an estimate of the extra loss or a clear reason an estimate was not possible.38 CFR 4.40 (Sharp)
- Any opinion uses the at least as likely as not standard and gives a real reason, not just no evidence.38 CFR 3.102
- The examiner reviewed your claims file and used the correct Disability Benefits Questionnaire for this condition.
- The facts, dates, and history in the report match your records.
The measurement device, by condition
- 38 CFR 4.46GoniometerJoints, spine, and neck
- 38 CFR 4.96Pulmonary function test (spirometry)Most lung conditions
- 38 CFR 4.104METs on an exercise stress testHeart muscle and valve conditions
- 38 CFR 4.85Maryland CNC speech test and puretone audiometryHearing loss, by an audiologist
- 38 CFR 4.76 and 4.77Measured visual acuity and visual fieldVision conditions
After your exam
The exam is not the end. You can correct the record and protect your dates.
- Request a copy of your exam report and read it line by line.
- Compare it to your symptoms, your records, and what you said earlier, and note anything wrong or missing.
- If something is wrong, submit a short written statement correcting the record.
- Watch your deadlines. You generally have one year from a decision to choose a review lane.