Waiting on a decision

Read in this order

1. 01ExamsWhat Happens at a VA C&P Exam — and How to PrepareWhat a VA claim exam is, who performs it, how to describe your symptoms accurately, and how to get a copy of the examiner's report afterwards.7 min
2. 02FilingWhat Your VA Claim Status Actually MeansVA's eight claim status steps translated — what each one means, why a claim moves backward, and how long a decision actually takes.9 min
3. 03RatingsVA Math: How Your Combined Rating Is CalculatedWhy 50% and 30% combine to 70% and not 80% — the whole-person table, the rounding rule, and the bilateral factor, worked through step by step.12 min
4. 04RatingsVA Proposed to Reduce Your Rating — What to Do NowWhat a proposed VA rating reduction is, the 30- and 60-day clocks it starts, which ratings are protected, and what VA must prove to reduce you.16 min

This order is ours, not the VA’s — it is the sequence these guides make the most sense in. Nothing here depends on reading them in order, and every guide stands on its own.