Skip to main content
The Veteran Benefit Desk™
Education · Faq

What is a C&P exam?

Quick summary
The Compensation and Pension exam VA uses to rate your condition.
By the editorial deskUpdated Sep 18, 2026Sources verified May 15, 2026

Veterans often walk into a C&P exam expecting a treatment visit. It is a measurement, and knowing that changes how you prepare.

A C&P exam is not a treatment visit. It is a measurement. Knowing that difference changes how you prepare.

A Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam is how VA measures the current severity of a claimed condition. The examiner completes a Disability Benefits Questionnaire that maps to the rating criteria in 38 CFR Part 4. Prepare with our C&P exam prep guide.

Common questions

What is a C&P exam?

A Compensation and Pension exam is the medical evaluation VA uses to measure the current severity of a claimed condition. It is not a treatment visit: the examiner documents your condition and, when asked, gives an opinion on whether it is related to service.

What form does the examiner fill out?

The examiner completes a Disability Benefits Questionnaire, a standardized form that maps directly to the rating criteria in 38 CFR Part 4. That is why the exam can feel like a checklist: each answer is a data point a rating specialist needs.

Who performs C&P exams?

Either a VA clinician or a contract examiner working for one of VA's exam vendors. Both use the same Disability Benefits Questionnaires, and the report carries the same weight in your claim either way.

Follow The Veteran Benefit Desk in GoogleAdd us as a preferred source and our reporting can appear more often in your Top Stories when you search.
For questions about your specific ratings or decision, contact your Veterans Service Officer (VSO), an accredited claims agent, or an accredited attorney. Browse the accredited representative directory or verify a representative's accreditation before sharing your records.
This is an educational estimate and not a guarantee of benefits, ratings, or back pay. VA makes all final determinations. We are not a law firm, VSO, accredited claims agent, or VA representative. We provide educational information only and encourage veterans to seek accredited help for individual claim advice. The Veteran Benefit Desk™ is a veteran founded independent digital publication and education platform that helps veterans understand VA disability claims, ratings, evidence, and appeals using clear explanations, original research, and cited public sources.
Printed from The Veteran Benefit Desk, https://veteranbenefitdesk.com/education/what-is-a-c-and-p-exam. Figures reflect this page as published. Rates change each December; confirm current amounts at veteranbenefitdesk.com before relying on them.
We use only strictly necessary, first-party cookies. No advertising or cross-site tracking cookies run on this site. We use limited first-party, cookieless measurement to understand site performance and prevent abuse: no third-party pixels, no ad profiling, and no selling or sharing of personal information for behavioral advertising. We honor Global Privacy Control signals automatically, and if we ever add optional cookies, the choice you save here will govern them. Read our Privacy Policy.