An ACE (Acceptable Clinical Evidence) exam is a record-review-only version of a Compensation & Pension exam. Instead of a face-to-face appointment, a VA contractor or clinician reviews your claims file, VA treatment records, and any evidence you submitted to determine if there's enough information to rate your condition without an in-person visit. The VA can use ACE reviews under 38 CFR 3.159 when the existing medical evidence is considered sufficient, but the reviewer is still required to consider all relevant evidence in the file, including private records, lay statements, and documents like FMLA paperwork that show functional impact.
If you believe the ACE reviewer overlooked or misread evidence, you generally cannot force VA to redo the exam mid-process, but you have a few concrete options. First, submit a Statement in Support of Claim (VA Form 21-4138) directly pointing to the specific evidence you believe was missed or mischaracterized, and reference exactly where it is in the file. This creates a clear record if the claim later needs to be appealed. Second, if the eventual decision comes back with an inadequate rating or denial, you can argue that the exam was inadequate under Reonal v. Wilkie and similar case law holding that VA exams must accurately account for the record; an inadequate exam is grounds for VA to schedule a new one, including an in-person exam, either on its own or after you file for a higher-level review (VA Form 20-0996), a new supplemental claim (VA Form 20-0995) with new evidence, or a Notice of Disagreement (VA Form 10182 for the Board).
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Does your rating decision hold up under a real audit?
Upload your decision letter and C&P exams — VetAid's analyzer reads the full file, checks every examiner statement word-for-word against your records, and shows which arguments for a higher rating actually hold. Free, and we never take a cut of your back pay.
Analyze my claim free →There is no independent right to demand an in-person exam simply because you prefer one, but if the rating decision reflects that key evidence was not considered, that is a specific, documentable error you can raise. A Veterans Service Officer (VSO) can help you review the exam report against your file to identify whether it accurately reflects your migraine frequency, severity, and prostrating episodes, since that is what drives the rating under 38 CFR 4.124a.
The concrete next step is to request your C&P exam report and claims file (through eBenefits/VA.gov or a VSO), compare it line by line against your treatment records and FMLA documentation, and if it omits evidence, submit a Statement in Support of Claim identifying the gaps before or immediately after the decision is issued.
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