Learn Before You File
Understand the VA disability claims process one step at a time. Explore clear, practical education designed to help you understand what VA is looking for, what your evidence needs to show, and what deserves your attention next.
Choose What You Need to Understand
Start with the topic that best matches where you are in the VA disability claims process.
Learn how VA disability claims work, what happens after you file, and the major decisions you may encounter along the way.
Learn what different types of evidence actually prove, how VA evaluates evidence, and how to identify gaps before you file.
Learn how to read your VA decision letter, understand why VA made its decision, and identify what may deserve your attention next.
Featured Learning Path: The Evidence Blueprint
Evidence only helps when it proves the fact that matters. The Evidence Blueprint teaches you how to evaluate your evidence before you rely on it — what it proves, what may be missing, and what deserves your attention before you file.
Start With the Foundation
Begin with the first lessons in order. Each lesson builds on the one before it and gives you a practical way to evaluate your own evidence.
LESSON 1
Learn the four questions that help you identify exactly what you’re trying to prove before you start gathering evidence.
LESSON 2
Learn the three questions VA uses to evaluate evidence: whether the source is qualified, whether the evidence is believable, and how much weight it deserves.
LESSON 3
Learn the three jobs medical evidence needs to do: establish a diagnosis, document severity, and show what your condition looks like today.
Continue Through the Evidence Blueprint
Follow the complete learning path to understand the major types of evidence used in VA disability claims and how each one fits into the bigger picture.
Browse Other VA Claim Topics
Explore practical education based on the part of the VA disability claims process you want to understand.
Understand what happens during a C&P exam, what the examiner is evaluating, and how to prepare without trying to game the exam.
Learn when VA may review or reduce a disability rating and understand the protections that can apply over time.
Learn how to read what VA decided, understand the reasons behind the decision, and identify what may deserve your attention next.
Understand what VA looks for when evaluating whether a service-connected condition has become more severe.
Learn how VA evaluates conditions claimed as caused or aggravated by an existing service-connected disability.
Understand the basic structure of SMC, how it differs from standard disability compensation, and what evidence may matter.