C&P Exam Preparation Worksheet

01 // Before the appointment

Know where you are going and what they are examining.

VA or an assigned contractor may contact you to schedule the exam. Verify the date, time, location or telehealth instructions, and the conditions being examined. Use official contact information if a scheduling message seems suspicious.

Review your own claim and relevant history so you can answer accurately. Memorizing somebody else’s “magic words” is how an exam turns into community theater.

• Confirm the examiner or contractor and appointment details.
• Bring required identification and assistive devices.
• Know the condition or issues being evaluated.
• List medications, treatment, major dates, and current functional effects.
• Arrange transportation, accessibility, language, or accommodation needs early.

02 // During the exam

Tell the truth on the bad days and the good ones.

Answer the question asked, explain frequency and functional impact, and distinguish what you personally experience from what a clinician has diagnosed. If symptoms flare or vary, describe that pattern truthfully.

The exam is not treatment. VA explains that the provider gathers information for the claim and generally cannot provide treatment, referrals, the exam result, or the final claim decision.

03 // After the exam

Write the after-action report before memory starts freelancing.

Record the time, length, topics covered, tests performed, and any important issue you believe was misunderstood or omitted. Keep the note factual and separate from conclusions about whether the claim will be granted.