A stronger claim is a well-prepared one. These free tools help you check how filing-ready you are, organize the right evidence, prepare for your C&P exam, and build the statements and nexus language VA looks for. Work them top to bottom or jump to what you need.
Score how filing-ready your claim is and get the exact next step for each gap.
Open tool →Build a per-condition checklist of the records and statements VA wants to see.
Open tool →Find out if you are ready for your Compensation & Pension exam and what to review.
Open tool →Create a lay statement that corroborates your symptoms and in-service events.
Open tool →Hand your doctor the exact "at least as likely as not" language VA looks for.
Open tool →Denied or waiting? Find your appeal lane and what evidence is still missing.
Open tool →Start with the Readiness Checker to find your weak spots. Use the Evidence Builder and C&P Prep to strengthen each one, add a Buddy Statement and a Nexus Letter where the link or corroboration is thin, and if you were denied, the Appeal & Next-Steps Finder points you to the right lane.
What to Expect at Your VA C&P Exam: what the exam is, how to prepare, what to bring and say, and how the examiner's report drives your rating.
VA Rating for PTSD: how VA rates PTSD by impairment level, what a claim needs, and documenting your worst days for the C&P exam.
VA Rating for Tinnitus: the flat 10 percent rating, the evidence VA looks for, and how it ties to hearing loss.
VA Rating for Hearing Loss: how VA scores hearing loss, why 0 percent is common, and why it still matters.
VA Rating for Back Pain: the range-of-motion levels and the separate rating for nerve pain (sciatica).
VA Rating for Migraines: what "prostrating" means and why a headache log wins the claim.
VA Rating for Depression & Anxiety: the mental health impairment levels and the secondary-to-pain path.
VA Rating for Knee Pain: motion and instability, and how one knee can earn two ratings.
What to Do After a VA Claim Denial: the three AMA review lanes, the one-year window that protects your effective date, and how to turn a denial into a grant.
How to File a VA Supplemental Claim: what new and relevant evidence means, when to choose it over a Higher-Level Review, and how to protect your deadline.
VetClaimsGuide is a free, veteran built educational resource. It is not a law firm, not VA-accredited representation, and does not file claims or guarantee any outcome. Confirm everything at VA.gov or with an accredited representative.