VA claims agent exam practice test: 10 free sample questions

Q: What topics does this practice test cover?

The 10 questions cover fee rules under 38 CFR 14.636, the one-time representation rule in 14.630, powers of attorney under 14.631, effective dates under 3.400, service-connection principles under 3.303, combined ratings under 4.25, AMA review options under 3.2500, Board evidence options under 20.202, and the duty to assist under 38 U.S.C. 5103A.

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

Quick answer: This free VA claims agent practice test has 10 sample questions with answers and explanations, drawn from the same bank as our 800 practice questions. VA Claims Agent Exam Prep also offers free study guides and The Claim Game with Dana and Marcus, the only free VA claims agent exam prep podcast. The real exam needs a 75 percent score to pass.

Ten free practice questions for the VA accredited claims agent exam, with answers and explanations. These are the same 10 questions as our free quiz, presented here as a scored practice test you can take right on this page. They are original questions written to the regulations and statutes OGC says the exam is based on; they do not reproduce the OGC exam.

How to use this practice test

Answer all 10 questions, then press "Score my test." Your score appears at the top, each question is marked right or wrong, and every explanation is revealed so you can study what you missed. The real exam requires 75 percent to pass (38 CFR 14.629(b)(6)), so on this 10-question set, treat 8 or more as exam-ready, 5 to 7 as "review the explanations and re-study the weak topics," and below 5 as "work through the study guide before testing again." For timing practice, the free quiz presents these same questions in an interactive timed format.

The test

1. An accredited agent represents a veteran on a disability compensation claim. The agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) issues notice of its initial decision after the effective date of the modernized review system, and the agent has met the power-of-attorney and fee-agreement requirements. Under 38 CFR 14.636(c)(1)(i), for which representation may the agent charge the veteran a fee? A. Any representation, including gathering evidence and filing the initial claim, as long as the fee agreement is filed within 30 days of signing B. Representation provided after the AOJ has issued notice of its initial decision on the claim C. Only representation provided after the Board of Veterans' Appeals issues a final decision D. Only representation provided after the veteran files a Notice of Disagreement with the Board

Answer: B. Fees are tied to the AOJ's notice of its initial decision: an agent may charge for work done after that notice, but not for preparing or filing the initial claim. No Board decision or Notice of Disagreement is needed first, so a higher-level review or supplemental claim filed after the initial decision can also be fee-eligible.

Source: 38 CFR 14.636(c)(1)(i)

2. Which statement correctly describes the fee presumptions in 38 CFR 14.636(f)(1)? A. Fees up to 25 percent of past-due benefits are presumed reasonable, and fees above 50 percent are presumed unreasonable. B. Fees up to 33 1/3 percent of past-due benefits are presumed reasonable, and fees above 40 percent are presumed unreasonable. C. Fees up to 20 percent of past-due benefits are conclusively reasonable, and that presumption cannot be rebutted. D. Fees up to 20 percent of past-due benefits are presumed reasonable if the representation continued through the date of the decision awarding benefits, and fees above 33 1/3 percent are presumed unreasonable.

Answer: D. A fee of 20% or less of past-due benefits is presumed reasonable, but only if the agent's representation continued through the decision awarding benefits. A fee above 33 1/3% is presumed unreasonable. Both presumptions can be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence, so C is wrong.

Source: 38 CFR 14.636(f)(1)

3. Under 38 CFR 14.630, a person who is not VA-accredited may be authorized to represent a claimant on a particular claim. Which statement is correct? A. The person may represent one claim, one time only (unless the General Counsel grants an exception in unusual circumstances), and must file a statement, signed by the person and the claimant, that no compensation will be charged or paid. B. The person may represent up to three claimants per calendar year, as long as no fee is charged. C. The person may represent one claim and may charge a fee of up to 20 percent of past-due benefits if a fee agreement is filed. D. The person may represent an unlimited number of claims, as long as each claimant is a family member.

Answer: A. Section 14.630 allows any person to handle one claim, one time only, unless the General Counsel grants an exception in unusual circumstances. The person and the claimant must sign a statement that no compensation will be charged or paid. 38 CFR 14.636(b) separately confirms that people recognized under 14.630 may not receive fees.

Source: 38 CFR 14.630(a)-(b)

4. A claimant has a general power of attorney (VA Form 21-22a) on file appointing Agent X. The claimant and Agent Y then sign a new general power of attorney appointing Agent Y, and VA receives it. The claimant does not indicate anything else. Under 38 CFR 14.631, what is the effect? A. The new power of attorney revokes the existing power of attorney appointing Agent X. B. Agents X and Y are both recognized as the claimant's representatives on the claim. C. Agent X stays the representative of record until Agent X files a written withdrawal with VA. D. The new power of attorney takes effect only after the General Counsel approves the change.

Answer: A. A claimant may revoke a power of attorney or discharge an agent at any time. Unless the claimant says otherwise, VA's receipt of a new power of attorney signed by the claimant and the new representative revokes the old one. VA also recognizes only one representative at a time on a particular claim (14.631(e)(1)), so B is wrong.

Source: 38 CFR 14.631(f)(1)

5. A veteran was separated, under conditions other than dishonorable, from continuous active service on June 30, 2025. A knee disability was incurred during that service. VA receives the veteran's claim for direct service connection on March 2, 2026, and no earlier claim or intent to file was submitted. Under 38 CFR 3.400(b)(2)(i), what is the effective date of the award? A. June 30, 2025 (the date of separation) B. July 1, 2025 (the day after separation) C. March 2, 2026 (the date VA received the claim) D. The date of the rating decision granting service connection

Answer: B. When VA receives a direct service-connection claim within 1 year after separation, the effective date is the day after separation (or the date entitlement arose). Here the disability arose during service and the claim came in about 8 months after separation, so the effective date is July 1, 2025. Had the claim come in more than a year after separation, the effective date would have been the later of the date of claim or the date entitlement arose.

Source: 38 CFR 3.400(b)(2)(i)

6. Under 38 CFR 3.303, which of the following is NOT a disease or injury within the meaning of applicable legislation for service-connection purposes? A. Multiple sclerosis B. Tuberculosis C. Refractive error of the eye D. Leprosy

Answer: C. Section 3.303(c) says that refractive error of the eye, like congenital or developmental defects, personality disorders, and mental deficiency, is not a disease or injury for service-connection purposes. Section 3.303(b) names leprosy, tuberculosis, and multiple sclerosis as examples of established disease identities.

Source: 38 CFR 3.303(c) (compare 3.303(b))

7. A veteran has three service-connected disabilities rated 40 percent, 10 percent, and 10 percent. Using the Combined Ratings Table and the procedure in 38 CFR 4.25, what is the final combined disability rating? A. 50 percent B. 51 percent C. 60 percent D. 46 percent

Answer: A. With the whole-person method, 40% combined with 10% gives 46 (Table I), and 46 combined with the second 10% gives 51. VA rounds only once, at the very end, to the nearest number divisible by 10, so 51 becomes 50%. Rounding 46 up to 50 in the middle, or simply adding the ratings, would wrongly give 60%.

Source: 38 CFR 4.25(a)-(b) and Table I

8. Under the modernized review system, after a claimant receives notice of a decision on a higher-level review, which review options does 38 CFR 3.2500(c)(2) list for continuing to pursue the issue? A. Another higher-level review or an appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals B. A supplemental claim, another higher-level review, or an appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals C. Only a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims D. A supplemental claim or an appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals

Answer: D. After a higher-level review decision, the listed options are a supplemental claim or a Board appeal. A second higher-level review is not one of them. An appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims comes only after a Board decision.

Source: 38 CFR 3.2500(c)(2)

9. On the Notice of Disagreement, an appellant asks for an opportunity to submit additional evidence without a Board hearing (the evidence submission option). Under 38 CFR 20.202(b)(3), when may the appellant submit that evidence? A. Not at all; the Board reviews only the record that was before the agency of original jurisdiction B. With the Notice of Disagreement and within 90 days following receipt of the Notice of Disagreement C. At the Board hearing and within 90 days following the hearing D. At any time until the Board issues its decision

Answer: B. The evidence submission option lets the appellant submit evidence with the Notice of Disagreement and within 90 days following receipt of the Notice of Disagreement. A record-only review is the direct review option (20.202(b)(1)), and evidence at a hearing plus 90 days afterward is the hearing option (20.202(b)(2)). Each option has its own Board docket under 38 CFR 20.800(a)(1).

Source: 38 CFR 20.202(b)(3)

10. Under 38 U.S.C. 5103A(b)(2)(B), for VA's efforts to obtain a claimant's relevant PRIVATE records to count as "reasonable," what must VA do? A. Make one request to the custodian; a single request is always enough B. Make at least three requests to the custodian before notifying the claimant C. Make not less than two requests to the custodian, unless the first request makes it evident that a second request would be futile D. Keep trying until the records are obtained, unless it is reasonably certain they do not exist or further efforts would be futile

Answer: C. For private records, VA must make at least two requests unless the first request shows that a second would be futile. The keep-trying-until-obtained standard in D applies to records held by Federal departments or agencies under 5103A(c)(2), not to private records.

Source: 38 U.S.C. 5103A(b)(2)(B)

What these 10 questions cover

The set is built to touch every major block of the confirmed syllabus in miniature:

Accreditation and fees (questions 1 through 4). When an agent may charge a fee (38 CFR 14.636(c)(1)(i)), the fee presumptions in 14.636(f)(1), the one-time representation rule for non-accredited persons (14.630), and how a new power of attorney revokes an old one (14.631(f)(1)).
Adjudication (questions 5 through 7). Effective dates for direct service connection (3.400(b)(2)(i)), what counts as a disease or injury for service-connection purposes (3.303(c)), and the combined ratings table (4.25).
Appeals and duty to assist (questions 8 through 10). Review options after a higher-level review (3.2500(c)(2)), evidence submission windows on appeal to the Board (20.202(b)(3)), and reasonable efforts to obtain private records (38 U.S.C. 5103A(b)(2)(B)).

If a whole cluster felt shaky, study it as a unit: the part 3 study guide for adjudication, the fee rules guide for fees, and AMA basics for appeals.

What to do after the test

Scored 8 to 10: you are in good shape. Keep sharp with 20 more sample questions and the timed free quiz.
Scored 5 to 7: read every explanation above, note the regulation behind each miss, and re-study those sections in the topic outline. Retake this test in a few days.
Scored below 5: start with the study guide and the 2-, 4-, or 6-week study plan, then come back. The podcast covers the full syllabus in conversational episodes at 0.5x to 2x speed.

When you are ready for volume, the full 800-question bank, the interactive voice-quiz game, and the complete audio series are on the plans page. And remember the retake rule while you plan your real exam date: no more than two sittings in any 6-month period (retake rules).

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free VA claims agent exam practice test?

Yes. This page has 10 free practice questions with answers and explanations, and the site's free quiz covers the same material in a timed format. There are also 20 more sample questions with full explanations.

Are these practice questions from the real OGC exam?

No. These are original practice questions written to the same regulations and statutes OGC says the exam is based on. They do not reproduce the OGC exam, and no third party has access to the real test questions.

What score should I aim for on a practice test?

The real exam requires 75 percent to pass. On a 10-question practice set, aim for 8 or more consistently before you sit for the real exam. If you score 5 to 7, review the explanations and re-study the weak topics; below 5, work through the study guide first.

What topics does this practice test cover?

Fee rules under 38 CFR 14.636, the one-time representation rule in 14.630, powers of attorney under 14.631, effective dates under 3.400, service-connection principles under 3.303, combined ratings under 4.25, AMA review options under 3.2500, Board evidence options under 20.202, and the duty to assist under 38 U.S.C. 5103A.

Where can I find more practice questions?

The site has 20 more sample questions with full explanations, a free interactive quiz, and an 800-question bank with podcast and voice-quiz study tools on the plans page.

Sources

Checked October 5, 2026. Primary sources unless marked SECONDARY.