VA Claims Agent Exam PrepThis study guide organizes everything VA's Office of General Counsel says the accreditation exam covers into eight study blocks, explains how each block is tested, and gives you a four-week plan plus an interactive planner to track your work. The syllabus is public: 38 U.S.C. chapters 1, 11, 13, 15, 51, 53, 59, 71, and 72, plus 38 CFR parts 1, 3, 4, 14, 19, and 20. The passing score is 75 percent or more under 38 CFR 14.629(b)(6). What follows is how to learn that syllabus, not just read it.
The eight study blocks
OGC names five topic areas (compensation and pension programs, claim procedures, appeals, agents' fees, waiver of indebtedness) and a recommended study list of nine statute chapters and six regulation parts. The eight blocks below map that list into units you can actually study, ordered from the largest testable surface to the smallest.
Block 1: Claims procedures and adjudication, 38 CFR part 3
The biggest block. Duty to assist, new and material versus new and relevant evidence, effective dates, service connection (direct, presumptive, secondary), presumptions, and the rating-adjacent rules in part 3. The exam tests this block with paired distinctions that look nearly identical, so study definitions word by word. The 38 CFR part 3 study guide covers this block in depth.
Block 2: Ratings, 38 CFR part 4
How disabilities are evaluated: the general rating formula concepts, combined ratings, total disability based on individual unemployability, and special monthly compensation. Questions tend to test thresholds and the difference between schedular and extraschedular concepts. Pair this with part 3 study, since effective dates and ratings interact.
Block 3: Accreditation, fees, and conduct, 38 CFR part 14
The rules that govern you as a future agent: accreditation requirements, who may charge fees and when, the 20 percent presumption of reasonableness, fee agreements, and standards of conduct. Highly testable because every question has one right answer in the regulation. Read the fees guide, the 14.629 explained guide, and the standards of conduct guide.
Block 4: Appeals and the modernized review system, 38 CFR parts 19 and 20, 38 U.S.C. chapters 71 and 72
The three AMA review options (supplemental claim, higher-level review, Board appeal), legacy appeals concepts, and the Board and Court structure. Questions love the lanes: which option allows new evidence, which does not, and the one-year windows for continuous pursuit. The AMA for agents guide is the companion here.
Block 5: Compensation programs, 38 U.S.C. chapter 11
Service-connected disability compensation: basic eligibility, line of duty, character of discharge, and the statutory backbone behind the part 3 and part 4 rules. Study this alongside blocks 1 and 2, not separately, because the statute and the regulations describe the same system from different angles.
Block 6: Survivor benefits and pension, 38 U.S.C. chapters 13 and 15
Dependency and indemnity compensation (chapter 13) and non-service-connected pension (chapter 15). The exam tests eligibility thresholds and the difference between service-connected death benefits and needs-based pension. Smaller than the compensation blocks, but the definitions are exact.
Block 7: Claims administration and procedure statutes, 38 U.S.C. chapters 51 and 53, 38 CFR part 1
The statutory claims process (chapter 51), special provisions (chapter 53), and general VA provisions including disclosure and records rules (part 1). This block supplies the timing rules, notice requirements, and waiver of indebtedness concepts that OGC names explicitly as a topic area.
Block 8: Representation statutes, 38 U.S.C. chapter 59 and chapter 1
Chapter 59 is the statutory home of agent and attorney recognition, including the fee provisions of 38 U.S.C. 5904. Chapter 1 supplies general definitions. Study this with block 3, since 38 CFR part 14 implements these statutes.
The interactive study planner
Check off each block as you complete it: reading the source, drilling practice questions, and scoring at or above your target on timed runs. Your progress saves in this browser, so you can close the page and pick up where you left off.
Accreditation exam study planner
0 of 8 blocks complete
A four-week plan
Week 1: Benefit programs
Blocks 5 and 6, plus the compensation-adjacent parts of block 1. Read the statutes, then drill part 3 questions on service connection and effective dates. End the week with a timed run of the 25-question practice set to baseline your score.
Week 2: Procedure and ratings
Blocks 1, 2, and 7. This is the heaviest reading week. Re-read every eCFR section behind your missed questions from week 1. Work the sample questions page untimed, reading every explanation.
Week 3: Appeals, fees, and representation
Blocks 3, 4, and 8. Memorize the AMA lanes, the fee timing rules, and the accreditation requirements cold; these are the blocks where the exam asks for exact numbers and exact conditions. Take the exam readiness quiz at the end of the week.
Week 4: Timed practice and review
Timed runs only, at about one minute per question. Log every miss by block, re-read the source, and retest the weak blocks. Do not schedule the exam until timed scores sit comfortably above 75 percent. Retakes are limited to twice in any 6 months, so the first sitting should feel like a formality.
What to read first, and in what order
Start with the exam topic outline for the full syllabus map, then work the blocks above in order. The study plan page offers 2-, 4-, and 6-week schedules if four weeks is not your timeline. The how to study guide covers study technique specifically. And whenever a practice question cites a section, follow the citation into the eCFR that day; the citation list is the syllabus made personal.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the VA accreditation exam study list?
VA OGC recommends studying 38 U.S.C. chapters 1, 11, 13, 15, 51, 53, 59, 71, and 72, plus 38 CFR parts 1, 3, 4, 14, 19, and 20. OGC's five named topic areas are compensation and pension programs, claim procedures, appeals, agents' fees, and waiver of indebtedness.
Which part of the syllabus matters most?
The dense regulatory clusters carry the most testable rules: adjudication (38 CFR part 3), ratings (38 CFR part 4), accreditation and fees (38 CFR part 14), and appeals under the modernized review system (38 CFR parts 19 and 20). These are where the exam finds its fine distinctions and exceptions, so give them the largest share of study time.
How long does it take to study for the VA accreditation exam?
It depends on your background, but four weeks of steady study is a workable plan for someone new to veterans benefits law: one week for the benefit programs, one for claims procedures and adjudication, one for appeals and fees, and one for timed practice and review. The study plan page breaks this into 2-, 4-, and 6-week schedules.
Should I read the actual statutes and regulations?
Yes. The exam is built from the text of title 38 and 38 CFR, and questions turn on the precise wording of rules and exceptions. Read the primary source for every topic, using guides only to orient you. Every practice question on this site cites its controlling section so you can verify the rule yourself in the eCFR.
How should I practice for the VA accreditation exam?
Use three passes: untimed practice with explanations for every answer, targeted re-reading of the cited eCFR sections behind your misses, and timed runs at about one minute per question. The regulation sets the passing score at 75 percent, so do not schedule the exam until timed practice scores sit comfortably above it.
Is there a free study plan for the VA accreditation exam?
Yes. This site offers a free study plan page with 2-, 4-, and 6-week schedules, a free practice quiz, sample questions with explanations, and a 25-question practice set with per-topic scoring. The interactive planner on this page lets you track your progress through the eight syllabus blocks.
Sources
Checked October 7, 2026. Primary sources unless marked SECONDARY.