VA certification test: what the claims agent exam really is

Quick answer: There is no separate VA certification test. VA runs an accreditation program, not a certification program. When people search for a "VA certification test" for claims agents, they almost always mean the written examination that VA's Office of General Counsel gives to non-attorney applicants for accreditation as claims agents. You must score 75 percent or more to pass, under 38 CFR 14.629(b)(6). No private training company can certify you; only VA OGC grants accreditation.

Updated October 7, 2026. Independent guide, not affiliated with VA. Not legal advice.

Why the naming confusion exists

The word "certification" shows up a lot in this space because private training companies sell "certified" courses for everything from paralegal work to benefits counseling. But VA's program is built on accreditation, a federal authorization granted by VA's Office of General Counsel under the rules in 38 CFR part 14 (VA OGC accreditation page). Accreditation is what lets you represent claimants before VA. A private certificate, no matter how official it sounds, does not give you that authority. If a program tells you its certificate is the same as VA accreditation, that is a red flag.

The real exam, under the "certification test" label

What searchers usually mean is the written examination for non-attorney accreditation applicants. Here is how it actually works. You apply on VA Form 21a, and OGC conducts a character-and-fitness review. Under current rules, an affirmative fitness determination comes before you may sit for the exam (38 CFR 14.629). OGC then offers the written exam online, several times per year on pre-determined dates. You must achieve a score of 75 percent or more, and you may sit no more than twice in any 6-month period (38 CFR 14.629(b)(6)). The topics are compensation and pension programs, claim procedures, appeals, agents' fees, and waiver of indebtedness, drawn primarily from the statutes and regulations OGC publishes as the study list.

Know the syllabus: match each topic to its source

One of the best study drills is matching an exam topic to the source OGC points you to. Try it below. These are study labels from OGC's own page, not exam questions.

How to study for the real exam

Start from OGC's published list: 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 (VA OGC). Then drill with practice questions that cite the exact provision behind each answer, so every explanation is verifiable. Our study plan turns that list into 2-, 4-, and 6-week schedules, and the free practice quiz gives you original questions with citations. Whatever you call it, a certification test or an accreditation exam, the way to pass is the same: learn the actual statutes and regulations, then practice applying them.