Getting Your C&P Exam Report and Completed DBQ
Required Forms
Two different things called a DBQ
Rating decisions are written from the completed exam . When a decision says a , a sleep-study finding, or an occupational-impairment level, that number came from the examiner's completed form. Reading it is how you learn whether the rating followed the findings or departed from them.
- The completed exam : what the VA or filled in during your C&P examination. It becomes the examination report of record and is filed in the eFolder.
- The blank public : a form VA publishes so a 's own treating clinician can document findings in the format the rating specialist uses. Publicly available at VA's DBQ page.
How to get the completed report
- Ask your accredited representative to pull it from the eFolder if you have one of record — this is the fastest route.
- Otherwise, submit VA Form 20-10206 (online at or on paper) naming the examination: body system, examining facility or contractor, and date.
- If the exam was performed at a VA medical center rather than by a contractor, some of the underlying clinical notes also appear in your VA health record and can be downloaded immediately through My HealtheVet or the VA Health and Benefits app — but the compensation exam report itself lives in the claims file.
What to read once you have it
- Whether the examiner reviewed the claims file — the report states it, and a negative opinion written without review is attackable.
- Whether measurements were taken after repetitive use and during flare-ups, which 38 CFR § 4.59 and require for joints.
- Whether the examiner answered the question VA asked, or answered a different one.
- Whether the stated actually supports the conclusion — a bare conclusion carries no probative weight under Nieves-Rodriguez v. Peake.
- Whether functional-loss findings were recorded and then ignored in the rating.
If the exam was inadequate
An inadequate examination is a duty-to-assist failure, and duty-to-assist errors are one of the grounds a reviewer can correct on the existing record. Where a new opinion is needed, the lane accepts it. Which lane fits depends on whether the problem is how the existing record was read or the absence of evidence in it.
Check this against your own paperwork
| If your record shows this | What it means |
|---|---|
| The report's claims-file review box is marked "not reviewed." | A negative nexus opinion written without the record is vulnerable. This is an adequacy issue, not a new-evidence issue. |
| Range-of-motion values appear once, with no repetitive-use or flare-up findings. | The exam may not satisfy 38 CFR § 4.59 and Correia. Note the omission by page and line. |
| The rating percentage does not match the measurements on the DBQ. | A criteria-application issue that Higher-Level Review is designed to catch on the same record. |
| The opinion reads "less likely than not" with no supporting reasoning. | An unexplained conclusion carries no probative weight. Cite the absence of rationale directly. |
| The exam describes a condition you did not claim, or omits one you did. | The examination may not have covered the claimed issue. Compare the exam request to the issues listed on the decision. |
Frequently Asked Questions
References & sources
- Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires — Veterans Benefits Administration
- 38 CFR § 4.59 — Painful motion — eCFR
- 38 CFR § 3.159 — VA assistance in developing claims — eCFR
Useful Tools & Topics
Have questions about your specific case?
Every veteran's facts are different. A free initial consultation with a VA-Accredited Claims Agent can tell you whether your matter is a fit for representation — and what the right next step looks like either way.
Disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Oakridge Claims is a private business and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. No guarantees of outcomes are made. Each claim is decided on its individual facts.
Related guides
How to Get Your VA Claims File (C-File)
The four routes to a claims file — VA Form 20-10206, the VA.gov online request, an accredited representative's eFolder access, and NPRC — with realistic timelines for each.
FOIA vs. Privacy Act Requests to VA
Which statute applies to your own records, the 20-business-day response rule in 5 U.S.C. § 552, why the C-file still takes months, and how to appeal a withheld record.
Service Treatment Records, STRs, and Your DD-214
milConnect, the National Personnel Records Center, and the 1973 St. Louis fire — which office holds your records based on when and where you served.
DBQ Forms — Disability Benefits Questionnaire Library
What a DBQ is, the list of conditions with available DBQs, who can complete one, and how VA uses DBQs to apply the rating schedule under 38 CFR Part 4.