United States – October 27, 2026 -- Veterans who skip a scheduled VA Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam without good cause can see a claim rated on a thin file or denied outright. Preparing in advance, by bringing your own records and describing your worst days, protects the claim.
The exam gathers findings, not verdicts
VA schedules a C&P exam when the evidence in a claim isn't enough to rate it. Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.326, VA can skip the exam only if existing medical records are already adequate for rating purposes, which for most first-time claims they aren't. The exam can happen in person or, increasingly, over telehealth, and video findings carry the same weight as in-person ones.
The examiner documents what's wrong, how severe it is now, and how it lines up with the claimed condition. Whether you receive benefits is decided later at the rating desk. Exams can last fifteen minutes or well over an hour depending on how many conditions are involved, and length alone says nothing about the outcome.
Bring your own records and a dated condition list
Take a copy of your service treatment records, any private medical records VA doesn't already have, and a written list of every claimed condition with its start date. Request your C-file ahead of time to check what is actually documented there rather than what you assumed was.
Describe your worst days, not your best
Veterans often undersell their symptoms out of habit, but the exam is built to measure your worst days. If your back locks up twice a month, say twice a month. An exam that captures only good days misses the full picture.
Missing the exam carries real penalties
Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.655, VA rates an original compensation claim on whatever evidence is already in the file. It denies outright a supplemental claim, an increase request, or a previously denied claim. Good cause includes a documented illness or the death of an immediate family member; a scheduling inconvenience generally doesn't qualify. Call VA as soon as you know you can't attend.
For an existing award, VA must send written notice before discontinuing or reducing it over a missed exam. You then have 60 days to show good cause or agree to reschedule.
Your whole file decides the rating
Under 38 C.F.R. § 4.2, the rater weighs the examiner's findings alongside service treatment records, private medical evidence, and buddy statements. VA's duty to assist under 38 C.F.R. § 3.159 means building the record is VA's job as much as yours.
Common questions answered
You can usually bring a spouse, family member, or VA-accredited representative into the exam room, though the examiner runs the evaluation; check the facility's policy first. If you disagree with the report, request it through your C-file and challenge it with a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board appeal.
VA can also order another exam. Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.327, a reexamination to verify whether a rated disability has improved or changed usually comes within two to five years of the last rating decision. VA generally skips it once a condition is static, has stayed unchanged for five years or more, is permanent, or the veteran is over 55.