A mental health Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is not an interrogation, though it can feel intense because the examiner is gathering detailed information to complete a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) that the VA rater will use to assign a diagnosis and evaluation under 38 CFR 4.130. Whether the exam is done by a VA psychologist/psychiatrist or a contractor (Loap, VES, QTC, etc.), the structure is similar: the examiner will review your claims file, ask about your military history and the specific stressor(s) tied to your claim, discuss current symptoms, and often use structured tools or questionnaires like the ones you already have (PTSD Checklist, Mississippi Scale) to assess severity and functional impact.
Expect questions about sleep, mood, irritability, concentration, memory, social relationships, work history and any occupational impairment, hypervigilance, avoidance behaviors, intrusive thoughts, and any history of treatment or medication. The examiner may also ask about suicidal ideation, substance use, and family or relationship functioning, since these all factor into the occupational and social impairment criteria used for the 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, and 100 percent ratings under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. Bringing your completed stressor statement, PTSD questionnaire, and Mississippi Scale is a good idea; you can offer them to the examiner, and many will incorporate them or at least review them alongside their own interview notes.
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 |
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Analyze my claim free →Be honest and specific rather than minimizing or exaggerating symptoms. Describe a typical bad day and bad week, give concrete examples of how symptoms affect work, relationships, and daily functioning, and avoid answering only in short yes/no responses. If you have supporting evidence such as a private psychologist's opinion, buddy statements, or a personal statement, it's fine to reference them, but the exam itself is the examiner's independent clinical assessment.
Outcomes from C&P exams vary significantly depending on the completeness of your record and how well your symptoms and evidence are documented, so there's no way to predict a specific rating in advance.
As a concrete next step, prepare a written symptom summary with specific examples before the exam and bring it along with your completed questionnaires so you can reference it if anxiety makes it hard to recall details in the moment.
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