VA Claims Agent Exam: Format, Dates, and Passing Score

Everything VA's Office of General Counsel publishes about the claims agent examination, in one place.

Quick answer: The exam is online, offered on pre-determined dates several times per year. Secondary sources report 40 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes, closed book; VA's public pages do not confirm the count or time limit. The passing score is 75 percent (38 CFR 14.629(b)(6)), and retakes are capped at twice per six-month period.

How the exam is given

VA's Office of General Counsel offers the exam online, several times a year on pre-determined dates. It is closed-book: 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. You need 30 correct to pass. There are no true/false questions and no scenario sets. One quirk test-takers report: once you move to the next question, you cannot go back.

The next sitting is tentatively January 26, 2027. Always confirm the date with the Office of General Counsel, since tentative dates can move.

What is on it

OGC says the topics include compensation and pension programs, claim procedures, appeals, agents' fees, and waiver of indebtedness. The recommended study list is specific: title 38, United States Code, chapters 1, 11, 13, 15, 51, 53, 59, 71, and 72, plus title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, parts 1, 3, 4, 14, 19, and 20. The questions are primarily based on those statutes and regulations, which is why our practice questions quote the exact regulation text behind every answer.

The passing score, precisely

38 CFR 14.629 sets the bar: 75 percent on the written examination. It also limits you to two sittings in any six-month period, so a failed attempt costs you real calendar time. That retake limit is the strongest argument for over-preparing the first time.