VA claims acronym glossary: 79 terms every exam candidate must know

Quick answer: The VA claims world runs on acronyms, and the exam assumes you speak the language. This glossary defines 79 of them in plain English, from OGC and BVA to ITF and TDIU. Use the search box to find a term fast, filter by category, or flip on study mode to drill them as flashcards.

TL;DR

79 VA claims acronyms, each with its full name and a one-sentence plain-English definition.
Search instantly, filter by six categories, or study in flashcard mode with shuffle.
Terms tagged exam must-know are the ones to memorize cold before test day.
Pairs the exam loves: BVA vs CAVC, 21-22 vs 21-22a, HLR vs Supplemental Claim.

Sources checked October 5, 2026. Independent guide, not affiliated with VA. Not legal advice.

Open any page of 38 CFR and you will hit a wall of capital letters. The VA claims agent exam does not hand out a legend, so fluency with the alphabet soup is part of passing. This page gives you 79 acronyms, each decoded in one plain sentence, plus an interactive tool to search, filter, and drill them like flashcards until recall is automatic.

Use the interactive glossary

Type to search, tap a category to filter, or switch to flashcards to quiz yourself. Click any flashcard to flip it.

The 13 terms to learn first

If your study time is short, memorize the exam must-know set cold. These show up everywhere in the question bank:

VA: Department of Veterans Affairs
CFR: Code of Federal Regulations
OGC: Office of General Counsel
AMA: Appeals Modernization Act
ITF: Intent to File
VCAA: Veterans Claims Assistance Act
DTA: Duty to Assist
PACT Act: Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act
FOIA: Freedom of Information Act
OIG: Office of Inspector General
USC: United States Code
DoD: Department of Defense
NGB: National Guard Bureau

Full glossary: all 79 terms

VA Exam must-know: Department of Veterans Affairs. The federal department that runs veterans health care, benefits, and cemeteries.
CFR Exam must-know: Code of Federal Regulations. The codified set of federal agency rules; veterans rules live mostly in Title 38.
OGC Exam must-know: Office of General Counsel. VA's legal office, which accredits claims agents and attorneys and can suspend or cancel accreditation.
BVA Appeals: Board of Veterans' Appeals. The VA board that decides appeals of benefits decisions; Board appeals are one of the three AMA lanes.
CAVC Appeals: Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The federal court that reviews BVA decisions; only attorneys may practice there, not claims agents.
VSO Representation: Veterans Service Organization. Groups such as DAV, VFW, and the American Legion whose accredited representatives help veterans for free.
C&P Medical: Compensation and Pension. A VA medical exam ordered to evaluate a claimed condition, also called a VA exam.
NOD Appeals: Notice of Disagreement. The old first step of a legacy appeal, replaced by the AMA lanes in 2019.
SOC Appeals: Statement of the Case. The legacy-appeal document that summarized VA's decision and the evidence it considered.
SSOC Appeals: Supplemental Statement of the Case. A follow-up to the SOC issued when new evidence arrived during a legacy appeal.
RAMP Appeals: Rapid Appeals Modernization Program. The pilot program that tested the AMA appeal lanes before full rollout.
AMA Exam must-know: Appeals Modernization Act. The 2017 law that replaced the legacy appeal process with three review lanes.
HLR Appeals: Higher-Level Review. An AMA lane where a senior reviewer re-decides a claim using only the evidence already of record.
SC Appeals: Supplemental Claim. An AMA lane that lets a veteran submit new and relevant evidence for another review.
VBA Benefits: Veterans Benefits Administration. The VA arm that decides disability compensation, pension, education, and home loan benefits.
VHA Benefits: Veterans Health Administration. The VA arm that operates hospitals, clinics, and health programs.
VSR Benefits: Veterans Service Representative. The VA employee who develops a claim by gathering records and evidence.
RVSR Benefits: Rating Veterans Service Representative. The VA employee who decides the disability rating on a claim.
DRO Appeals: Decision Review Officer. A senior VA reviewer who decided legacy appeals and reconsiderations.
BDD Benefits: Benefits Delivery at Discharge. A program that lets servicemembers file VA claims before leaving active duty.
TDIU Benefits: Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. A rating that pays at the 100 percent rate when service-connected disabilities prevent substantially gainful employment.
SMC Benefits: Special Monthly Compensation. Extra monthly payments above the normal rate for severe disabilities such as loss of use of a hand or foot.
P&T Benefits: Permanent and Total. A rating status meaning the disability is total and not expected to improve, which can unlock added benefits.
DBQ Medical: Disability Benefits Questionnaire. VA's standardized medical forms used to document conditions for rating purposes.
IMO Medical: Independent Medical Opinion. A private doctor's written opinion obtained to support a veteran's claim.
VBMS Benefits: Veterans Benefits Management System. VA's electronic system for processing and storing claims.
ITF Exam must-know: Intent to File. A placeholder filing that preserves a potential effective date while the veteran gathers evidence.
EED Appeals: Earlier Effective Date. A request to move a claim's effective date earlier than the date VA assigned.
CUE Appeals: Clear and Unmistakable Error. A very high standard for overturning a final VA decision, requiring an obvious error in the record at the time.
VCAA Exam must-know: Veterans Claims Assistance Act. The law that created VA's duty to assist veterans and the duty to notify them about their claims.
DTA Exam must-know: Duty to Assist. VA's legal obligation to help a veteran develop the evidence needed to support a claim.
A&A Benefits: Aid and Attendance. An added benefit for veterans who need daily help with activities such as bathing or dressing.
HB Benefits: Housebound. An added benefit for veterans who are substantially confined to their home because of disability.
DIC Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Monthly payments to survivors when a servicemember's death was service-connected.
CRSC Benefits: Combat-Related Special Compensation. DoD payments that restore some of the retired pay offset for combat-related disabilities.
CRDP Benefits: Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay. The program that lets qualifying retirees receive both military retired pay and VA disability pay.
PACT Act Exam must-know: Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act. The 2022 law expanding presumptive conditions for veterans exposed to toxins.
MST Medical: Military Sexual Trauma. Sexual assault or harassment during service, with special evidentiary rules for related claims.
PTSD Medical: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A mental health condition rated under the general formula for mental disorders.
TBI Medical: Traumatic Brain Injury. A brain injury rated on cognitive, emotional or behavioral, and physical residuals.
COLA Benefits: Cost of Living Adjustment. The annual increase applied to VA benefit rates.
FDC Benefits: Fully Developed Claim. A claim submitted with all evidence up front, which VA generally processes faster.
EAJA Appeals: Equal Access to Justice Act. The law that can award attorney fees when a veteran prevails against the government at CAVC.
FOIA Exam must-know: Freedom of Information Act. The law that lets the public request records from federal agencies.
POA Representation: Power of Attorney. The VA form that appoints a VSO, agent, or attorney to represent a claimant.
21-22 Forms: VA Form 21-22. The form that appoints a veterans service organization as a claimant's representative.
21-22a Forms: VA Form 21-22a. The form that appoints an individual agent or attorney as a claimant's representative.
21a Forms: VA Form 21a. The application for accreditation as a VA claims agent or attorney.
OIG Exam must-know: Office of Inspector General. The independent office that investigates waste, fraud, and abuse in VA programs.
USC Exam must-know: United States Code. The codified federal statutes; veterans law is in Title 38.
DD-214 Forms: Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The document that proves military service and character of discharge.
STR Medical: Service Treatment Record. A servicemember's medical records created during active duty.
NPRC Forms: National Personnel Records Center. The federal archive that stores military personnel and medical records.
TERA Medical: Toxic Exposure Risk Activity. Participation in activities involving toxic exposure, a key PACT Act concept.
VR&E Benefits: Veteran Readiness and Employment. VA's Chapter 31 vocational rehabilitation and employment program.
DEA Benefits: Dependents' Educational Assistance. Chapter 35 education benefits for eligible dependents of veterans.
SGLI Benefits: Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. Low-cost life insurance for active duty servicemembers.
VGLI Benefits: Veterans' Group Life Insurance. Life insurance that servicemembers can convert to after separation.
MEB Medical: Medical Evaluation Board. The first DoD board that evaluates whether a servicemember meets medical retention standards.
PEB Medical: Physical Evaluation Board. The DoD board that decides fitness for duty and assigns disability ratings at separation.
IDES Medical: Integrated Disability Evaluation System. The joint DoD and VA process for evaluating disability at separation from service.
DoD Exam must-know: Department of Defense. The federal department that operates the military services.
SSA Benefits: Social Security Administration. The agency that runs Social Security disability programs.
SSDI Benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance. Disability benefits based on work credits, separate from VA disability compensation.
RO Benefits: Regional Office. The VA office that processes claims for its geographic region.
EP Benefits: End Product. VA's internal code that tracks a claim's type and processing status.
QTC Medical: QTC Medical Services. A private contractor that performs VA compensation and pension exams.
VES Medical: Veterans Evaluation Services. A private contractor that performs VA compensation and pension exams.
LHI Medical: Logistics Health Incorporated. A private contractor that performs VA compensation and pension exams.
ROM Medical: Range of Motion. The measured movement of a joint, central to musculoskeletal disability ratings.
GAF Medical: Global Assessment of Functioning. An older 0 to 100 mental health scale that the DSM-5 replaced.
WHODAS Medical: World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. A standard tool used on mental health DBQs to measure functional impairment.
AOD Appeals: Advancement on the Docket. Expedited BVA processing granted for hardship such as advanced age or serious illness.
SBP Benefits: Survivor Benefit Plan. A DoD annuity program that pays eligible military survivors.
NGB Exam must-know: National Guard Bureau. The bureau that oversees the Army and Air National Guard.
ILP Benefits: Independent Living Program. A VR&E track for veterans whose disabilities prevent employment goals.
DAV Representation: Disabled American Veterans. A large VSO that provides free accredited claims representation and services.
VFW Representation: Veterans of Foreign Wars. A VSO of combat veterans that offers free accredited claims help.
AMVETS Representation: American Veterans. A VSO open to all honorably discharged veterans, offering free accredited representation.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most important VA acronyms to memorize for the claims agent exam?

Start with OGC (the office that accredits you), BVA and CAVC (the two appeal bodies, and agents cannot practice at CAVC), AMA and its three lanes (HLR, Supplemental Claim, Board appeal), ITF (preserves an effective date), VCAA (duty to assist), and TDIU, SMC, and DBQ. This glossary marks them all as exam must-know.

What is the difference between BVA and CAVC?

The BVA is the Board of Veterans' Appeals, part of VA, and its decisions are the last step inside the agency. CAVC is the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, a separate federal court that reviews BVA decisions. Claims agents may handle BVA appeals but cannot practice before CAVC; only attorneys can.

What does AMA stand for, and what are its three lanes?

AMA is the Appeals Modernization Act of 2017. Its three review lanes are Higher-Level Review (a senior reviewer, no new evidence), Supplemental Claim (new and relevant evidence), and appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (with options for a hearing or new evidence).

What is the difference between VA Form 21-22 and VA Form 21-22a?

VA Form 21-22 appoints a veterans service organization as the claimant's representative. VA Form 21-22a appoints an individual, meaning an accredited claims agent or attorney. Both are powers of attorney for VA purposes.

What does P&T mean for a VA disability rating?

P&T stands for permanent and total. It means the disability is rated total and is not expected to improve, which can unlock added benefits such as Dependents' Educational Assistance for eligible children.