After your C&P exam, the examiner submits a report to VA that becomes part of your claims file. You have the right to obtain a copy of this report and review it for accuracy and completeness. You can access exam results through your VA online account, by requesting your claims file, or by contacting your VA regional office. When reviewing your exam report, check several things. First, make sure your reported history is accurately reflected. If you told the examiner about specific symptoms or events and they are not mentioned in the report, that is a problem. Second, check that all required testing was performed. For joint conditions, there should be range-of-motion measurements. For mental health conditions, there should be a detailed assessment of your symptoms and functioning. Third, read the medical opinion carefully. Does it actually address the question VA asked? Does it provide a rationale that makes sense given your specific history? An opinion that simply says your condition is not related to service without explaining why is inadequate. If you find errors, submit a written statement to VA identifying the specific problems and requesting correction or a new exam. Do this promptly because VA may issue a rating decision based on the exam results.
Note: This article references sections of the VA's M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. The VA periodically reorganizes the M21-1 and section numbers may have changed since this article was written. For the most current section references, visit the VA's public M21-1 Web Automated Reference Material System (WARMS).