Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs)

What Is a DBQ?

A Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is a standardized medical evaluation form created by the VA for each category of disability. When you attend a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam, the examiner completes the DBQ that corresponds to your claimed condition. That completed DBQ is then sent to a VA rater — someone who has never met you — and the rater uses the information on the form to assign your disability percentage under the applicable diagnostic code in 38 CFR Part 4.

Each DBQ is designed to collect the exact clinical findings that map to the rating criteria for that condition. For a knee condition, the DBQ asks for range of motion measurements, stability tests, and functional impact. For PTSD, it asks about specific symptom clusters and occupational impairment levels. The DBQ is not a general medical report — it is a rating-specific instrument, and every checkbox, measurement, and narrative field on the form corresponds to something the rater uses to determine your percentage.

Why Understanding DBQs Matters

Most veterans walk into their C&P exam not knowing what form the examiner is filling out, what questions will be asked, or how their answers will be translated into a rating percentage. This is a significant gap in preparation. Understanding DBQs changes the entire dynamic of the claims process in several important ways:

You Know What Gets Measured

Each DBQ asks specific clinical questions. If you know what those questions are before your C&P exam, you can prepare to describe your symptoms in the language the form uses. You will not accidentally downplay something the examiner is specifically looking for, and you will not waste time describing symptoms that do not appear on the form. For example, the PTSD DBQ asks about "difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, including work or a worklike setting" — if you experience this, knowing it is on the form means you will make sure to describe it clearly during the exam rather than hoping the examiner asks the right question.

Your Private Doctor Can Fill One Out

The VA made DBQs publicly available for private physicians to complete. This means you can download the DBQ for your condition, bring it to your own doctor — someone who knows your medical history and has time to be thorough — and have them complete it as supporting evidence for your claim. A private DBQ submitted with your claim can be more detailed and more favorable than a rushed 20-minute contractor exam. The VA is required to consider it as evidence.

You Can Spot C&P Exam Errors

After your C&P exam, you can request a copy of the completed DBQ. If the examiner recorded measurements incorrectly, failed to test what the DBQ requires, or left sections blank, you have grounds to request a new exam or file a Supplemental Claim with a corrected private DBQ. Many veterans are underrated because of sloppy or incomplete DBQ completion — and they never know because they never see the form.

You Understand the Rating Criteria

DBQs are structured around the diagnostic codes in the VA's rating schedule (38 CFR Part 4). By reading the DBQ for your condition, you can reverse-engineer the rating criteria — understanding exactly what clinical findings correspond to 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%. This knowledge lets you self-assess whether your current rating accurately reflects your symptoms and build a stronger case if it does not.

How to Use a Private DBQ

Complete List of VA DBQs

Below is the full list of Disability Benefits Questionnaires organized by body system and condition category. Each DBQ links directly to the official PDF download from the VA. These are the same forms C&P examiners use — and the same forms your private physician can complete on your behalf.

Musculoskeletal Conditions

These DBQs cover bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue. Range of motion testing with a goniometer is required. Under Correia v. McDonald (2017), the examiner must test active motion, passive motion, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing for each joint — if your C&P exam skipped any of these, the DBQ is inadequate.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health DBQs evaluate symptom severity and occupational/social impairment. The rating criteria under 38 CFR § 4.130 use General Rating Formula brackets — 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% — based on level of functional impairment. When your doctor fills out a mental health DBQ, they should document the highest level of impairment you experience during your more difficult periods, not just your presentation on the day of the exam.

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Conditions

Eye Conditions

Respiratory & Pulmonary Conditions

Respiratory DBQs require Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) results. The VA rates most respiratory conditions based on FEV-1, FEV-1/FVC ratio, and DLCO values. If you are filing a PACT Act burn pit claim for a respiratory condition, a private pulmonologist completing this DBQ with thorough PFT results can be especially valuable evidence.

Cardiovascular Conditions

Digestive & Gastrointestinal Conditions

Genitourinary Conditions

Skin Conditions

Neurological Conditions

Endocrine & Metabolic Conditions

Dental & Oral Conditions

Hematologic & Lymphatic Conditions

Infectious Diseases

General & Miscellaneous

After the C&P Exam: Requesting Your DBQ

After your C&P exam, the examiner submits the completed DBQ to the VA. You are entitled to a copy. Request it immediately — do not wait for your rating decision. Reviewing the DBQ while the exam is fresh in your mind lets you identify errors, omissions, or inadequacies before a rater uses the form to decide your percentage.

Key Legal Standards for DBQs

• 38 CFR § 3.159 — The VA's duty to assist requires providing adequate medical examinations. A DBQ that is incomplete or based on an inaccurate factual premise is inadequate and must be remanded for correction.
• Barr v. Nicholson (2007) — Once the VA provides a medical examination, it must be adequate. An inadequate DBQ — one that does not address all relevant diagnostic criteria — is not considered sufficient to support a claim denial.
• Correia v. McDonald (2017) — Joint DBQs must include range of motion testing in active motion, passive motion, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing. If any of these four tests are missing, the DBQ is inadequate for rating purposes.
• DeLuca v. Brown (1995) — Musculoskeletal DBQs must address functional loss due to pain, weakness, fatigability, and incoordination, including during flare-ups. Range of motion numbers alone are insufficient.
• Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) — If a veteran reports flare-ups during a C&P exam, the examiner must estimate additional functional loss during flare-ups or explain why an estimate is not feasible. A DBQ that simply states "unable to determine" without explanation is inadequate.