What NOT to Say at Your VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exam: 10 Pitfalls to Avoid!

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The VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam is the #1 most important day in the VA disability claim process.

Why?

Because the results of your C&P exam largely determine whether you (#1) get service-connected and (#2) your VA rating percentage, which ultimately determines the level of tax-free compensation and VA disability benefits you’ll receive.

A misstep during your C&P exam can jeopardize your entire VA claim, potentially leading to a painful denial or underrating.

Trust me, I get it — C&P exams can be scary, overwhelming, intimidating, and downright nerve-wracking.

But you’re not going into this blind.

VA Claims Insider is here to educate and empower you with the knowledge you need to successfully navigate your C&P exam with confidence.

In this Insider’s Guide from VA disability expert Brian Reese, we’ll reveal and explain what you should never say or do during your C&P exam to include 10 pitfalls to avoid along with pro tips and strategies to help you ace your exam!

Summary of Key Points

• C&P Exams Are Critical to Your VA Claim Success: The VA C&P exam plays a major role in determining whether a veteran’s condition is service-connected and how severe the disability is, as reflected by the VA disability rating. This rating directly impacts the benefits and compensation the veteran will receive. A strong performance during the C&P exam can significantly influence the outcome of the claim.

• Honesty and Specificity Are Non-Negotiable: Veterans must be completely truthful and specific when describing their symptoms. Exaggerating or downplaying symptoms can undermine credibility and lead to denied claims or inaccurate ratings. For instance, explaining symptoms like “I experience sharp back pain three to four times a week that makes it difficult to sit or stand” provides the examiner with the detailed information needed to assess the condition accurately.

• Thorough Preparation Is Key to Success: Walking into a C&P exam without preparation can lead to missed opportunities to fully explain how the condition affects daily life. Veterans should review their medical records, list specific examples of how their condition impacts their work and personal life, and practice describing their symptoms clearly. Being prepared ensures veterans can present their case effectively during the exam.

• Avoid Common Pitfalls to Strengthen Your Case: Veterans should steer clear of common mistakes like rushing through answers, pushing medical evidence onto the examiner unnecessarily, or behaving inconsistently with their day-to-day symptoms. Staying calm, respectful, and authentic while clearly communicating the impact of the disability ensures a smoother exam process and builds trust with the examiner.

#1. Don’t Show Up Unprepared

Walking into your C&P exam without the proper preparation can lead to disaster, including denial of service connection and missed opportunities to explain your severity of symptoms thoroughly.

• What to Avoid: Forgetting critical details about your condition or failing to bring necessary documentation, like recent medical records.

• What to Do Instead: Spend time reviewing your claim and preparing to explain how your condition affects your daily life. Find your condition and approximate symptoms in 38 CFR, Part 4, the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Write down specific examples of challenges you face at work, at home, or in social situations.

• Why It Matters: Preparation ensures you can clearly articulate your symptoms and provide the examiner with the information they need to make an informed decision.

#2. Don’t Ever Lie or Stretch the Truth

Think “integrity first!” Honesty is critical during your C&P exam because the examiner is trained to identify malingering (to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness), including inconsistencies between your statements, medical records, and behavior. Lying or exaggerating can lead to a VA claim denial or an underrating, and damage your overall credibility in future claims.

• What to Avoid: Claiming that your back pain is constant when it flares up only a few days a week. Saying something like, “I can’t move at all most days,” when this isn’t true.

• What to Do Instead: Be truthful but detailed. For example, say, “I have severe back pain three to four times a week, which prevents me from performing tasks like bending, lifting, or prolonged sitting.”

• Why It Matters: Falsifying information is not only unethical but also illegal. If the examiner catches you lying, it could jeopardize your claims. The VA values detailed honesty to evaluate how your condition negatively affects you.

#3. Don’t Overexaggerate Your Symptoms

While it may seem like exaggerating your severity of symptoms will increase your chances of a higher VA rating, it often backfires. The examiner may view your entire claim as untrustworthy, and explain that fact in their exam report for the VA Rater, potentially leading to a claim denial or an underrating.  

• Example to Avoid: Saying you hear tinnitus ringing 24/7 when it occurs intermittently, or claiming you can never sleep due to insomnia when you occasionally do.

• What to Do Instead: Be precise about the frequency and severity. For example, “I hear ringing multiple times daily, particularly in quiet environments, and it disrupts my ability to focus.”

• Why It Matters: Exaggeration raises red flags and undermines your credibility. The VA is more likely to trust claims that align with medical evidence and realistic symptom descriptions.

#4. Don’t Downplay or Minimize Your Symptoms

On the flip-side, veterans often downplay their severity of symptoms out of pride or fear of appearing weak. This is a massive mistake. Failing to describe the full extent of your condition prevents the C&P examiner from understanding the challenges you face in your work, life, and relationships.

• Example to Avoid: Describing severe PTSD symptoms as “not too bad” or brushing off chronic pain as “normal for my age.”

• What to Do Instead: Be open, honest, and uncomfortably vulnerable about how your condition affects you. For example, “I have nightmares almost every night and avoid crowded places because they make me feel unsafe and panicked.”

• Why It Matters: The VA uses your statements to evaluate how your disability impacts your daily life. Downplaying symptoms could lead to a lower rating or denial.

#5. Don’t Behave Differently Than You Normally Would

Assume the C&P examiner is observing your behavior from the moment you arrive in the parking lot. Acting differently from your day-to-day reality can create inconsistencies and inaccuracies that harm your VA disability claim.

• What to Avoid: Limping only during the exam but walking normally outside the room, or wearing a brace you don’t typically use.

• What to Do Instead: Be natural and authentic. Look and dress how you would on a normal day. If you normally walk with a limp due to knee pain, continue to do so. Don’t overcompensate or underplay your condition.

• Why It Matters: Examiners are trained to notice discrepancies. Consistency ensures they get an accurate understanding of your limitations.

#6. Don’t Assume the C&P Examiner Knows Everything About Your Claim

While C&P examiners have access to your medical records and detailed information about your VA claim, they may not be familiar with every pertinent detail. Assuming they know everything can lead to essential information being overlooked.

• What to Avoid: Relying solely on your file to communicate your symptoms. Don’t assume the examiner has read every document or understands how your condition impacts your life.

• What to Do Instead: Be proactive and explain your symptoms clearly, even if you think they’re in your records. For example, say, “I experience migraines three to four times a week that force me to lie in a dark room for hours.” Provide examples to illustrate how your condition affects your daily life.

• Why It Matters: Clarifying and emphasizing your symptoms ensures nothing is missed during the exam, improving your chances of receiving the appropriate disability rating.

#7. Don’t Leave Out Important Details

Vague or incomplete descriptions of your severity of symptoms make it difficult for the examiner to assess the true impact of your condition. Specificity is key. Better yet, be ready to provide specific examples of how your condition is negatively impacting your work, life, and social functioning.

• Example to Avoid: “My knees hurt sometimes.”

• What to Do Instead: Provide a clear and detailed explanation. For example, “I experience sharp pain in my knees after walking more than 10 minutes, and this limits my ability to perform household chores or enjoy outdoor activities.”

• Why It Matters: The more specific and descriptive you are, the better the examiner can document the severity of your condition, which is critical for your rating.

#8. Don’t Rush Through Your Answers

Taking your time to answer questions thoughtfully is critical during your VA C&P exam. Rushing can lead to incomplete or unclear responses that fail to capture the full impact of your condition.

• What to Avoid: Giving one-word answers or responding too quickly without fully explaining your symptoms. For example, saying, “I’m fine” when asked about how you feel, even if that’s not the case.

• What to Do Instead: Pause to think about your answers and provide detailed responses. For example, if asked about your daily routine, say, “I struggle to get out of bed some days due to severe back pain, and I often need assistance with household tasks.”

• Why It Matters: Detailed answers allow the examiner to document the full scope of your condition, ensuring a fair evaluation and accurate disability rating.

#9. Don’t Force It

It’s okay to bring paper copies of your medical evidence to your C&P exam, but you shouldn’t push it onto the examiner if they seem uninterested or don’t ask for it. The examiner’s primary role is to assess your condition during the exam itself, and while your medical records can be helpful, some examiners may prefer to rely on their evaluation rather than reviewing additional documents on the spot. In fact, some examiners choose not to review your evidence in-detail until after the C&P exam.

• What to Avoid: Insisting that the examiner reviews every page of your medical history or becoming frustrated if they decline to take your records.

• What to Do Instead: Politely offer your records. For example, say, “I’ve brought medical evidence that outlines my condition and its history. Would you like to review it?” If the examiner declines, don’t press the issue — they can still access your records through VA systems if needed.

• Why It Matters: Forcing the examiner to review your documents can create unnecessary tension and distract from the exam’s purpose: evaluating your current symptoms and their impact. By offering the records respectfully, you demonstrate preparation without undermining the examiner’s process.

#10. Don’t Argue or Debate with the Examiner

C&P examiners are there to do a job. You are there to do a job. The VA hired the examiner to assess your condition, not to challenge or criticize you. Getting defensive or argumentative serves no purpose and can only harm your VA claim.

• What to Avoid: Arguing if the examiner suggests that your symptoms don’t seem severe.

• What to Do Instead: Stay calm and focused. For example, respond with, “I understand and appreciate your perspective; however, this is how my condition has impacted my daily life,” and provide specific examples.

• Why It Matters: A cooperative and respectful tone ensures a smoother exam process and helps the examiner focus on documenting your symptoms accurately.

Conclusion & Wrap-Up

Your VA C&P exam is your opportunity to share how your disability negatively impacts your work, life, and social functioning.

By avoiding these 10 common C&P exam pitfalls and presenting your case clearly and truthfully, you can set yourself up for VA claim victory.

Remember, the VA wants to help veterans, but you need to provide accurate, detailed, and consistent information for them to do so.

Stay calm, stay focused, get educated, be prepared, and advocate for yourself — you’ve got this!

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