Last reviewed: September 2026. The veteran in this article, "Sample Veteran J.," is fictional. He is not a client, and the facts and excerpts were written for illustration only. Section names and order vary by report and by case.

Veterans and attorneys often ask what they are actually getting in a TDIU vocational report. It is a fair question. The report is the product, and its structure is what decides whether a VA rater can follow the reasoning or will set it aside as a conclusion without support.

This walkthrough goes through a typical report one section at a time. For each section, you will see what it contains, a short fictional excerpt, and why it matters to the person deciding your claim. For background on the evaluation process itself, see how a TDIU vocational evaluation works.

Meet the Fictional Sample Veteran

To keep the examples concrete, we use one made-up veteran throughout:

With one condition at 40% or more and a combined rating of 70% or more, J. meets the schedular percentages in 38 CFR § 4.16(a). The question VA must decide is whether his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

Section 1: Referral Question and Summary Opinion

A strong report states the question and the answer on the first page. It names who requested the report, what question was asked, and the bottom-line conclusion, before any detail.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Question presented: whether Sample Veteran J.'s service-connected disabilities, considered together, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. Summary opinion: based on the records reviewed, the vocational interview, and the analysis below, his service-connected limitations eliminate his past work and do not leave a realistic base of competitive jobs he could obtain and maintain."

Why it matters to a rater: raters review heavy files under time pressure. A clear question and conclusion upfront tells them exactly what the evidence is offered to prove and how it maps to 38 CFR § 4.16. Burying the conclusion on page twelve invites a skim that misses it.

Section 2: Records Reviewed

This section lists every document the expert reviewed, usually by type and date: rating decisions, C&P exams, VA and private treatment records, prior denials, VA Form 21-8940, employer statements, and any VR&E records.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Records reviewed include the rating decision dated [date], the C&P spine and PTSD examinations dated [dates], VA mental health treatment notes from [date range], the veteran's VA Form 21-8940, and a statement from his former warehouse supervisor."

Why it matters: VA gives more weight to opinions based on an accurate and complete picture of the record. The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has held that much of an opinion's value comes from its reasoning and the facts it relies on (Nieves-Rodriguez v. Peake, 22 Vet. App. 295 (2008)). A records list shows the rater the opinion is grounded in the file, not in the veteran's word alone.

Section 3: Background, Education, and Work History

Here the report sets out the veteran's education, military training, and each job held: title, dates, duties, and why it ended. Each past job is classified by its physical demand level (sedentary, light, medium, heavy) and skill level using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT).

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Tractor-trailer driver: medium exertion, semi-skilled. Warehouse shift lead: medium to heavy exertion as performed, semi-skilled. Separation from the shift lead position followed repeated absences and a documented conflict with a coworker."

Why it matters: 38 CFR § 4.16(b) specifically points to "employment history, educational and vocational attainment" as factors, and VA considers the same factors under § 4.16(a). How a job ended is often the most revealing fact in the file. Our article on what VA looks for in work history explains the patterns raters notice.

The report may note the veteran's age as background, but a sound TDIU opinion does not rest its conclusion on age. Under 38 CFR § 4.19, age may not be considered as a factor in evaluating service-connected disability in a TDIU claim.

Section 4: Functional Limitations Established in the Record

This is the bridge between medicine and work. The expert pulls the functional limits already documented by doctors and examiners, with citations to the source, rather than creating new medical findings.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Records document an inability to sit more than about 30 minutes without changing position, use of a cane on bad days, flare-ups several times a month, and medication-related drowsiness. Mental health notes document panic symptoms in crowds, irritability with coworkers, and poor concentration."

Why it matters: a vocational expert is not qualified to diagnose, and a rater will notice if a report reaches past the medical evidence. Anchoring every limit to a record keeps the analysis within the expert's field. If the records are thin, this section is where that gap shows up.

Section 5: Vocational Interview Findings

The structured interview captures how limits play out in daily life and at work: how long the veteran can sit, stand, or concentrate, what a bad day looks like, what happened in past jobs, and whether any work attempts failed.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "J. reported that in his last job he left early or missed work about four to six days a month because of back pain and panic symptoms. He described two short-lived attempts at part-time dispatch work that ended within weeks."

Why it matters: reliability is what employers actually enforce. A veteran who can sit at a desk for an hour but cannot show up consistently is not competitively employable. Interview findings are most persuasive when they match the records. Read how to prove you cannot work reliably for more.

Section 6: Past Relevant Work Analysis

The expert compares the demands of each past job with the documented limits and states whether the veteran can still do it.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Both past jobs require medium exertion and, for driving, sustained sitting and alertness that are inconsistent with the documented sitting tolerance and medication effects. Past relevant work is eliminated."

Why it matters: when past work is ruled out, the question shifts to whether any other work remains. That is the next section, and the one a one-line C&P opinion usually skips.

Section 7: Transferable Skills Analysis

A transferable skills analysis asks whether skills from past jobs or military service carry over to other occupations within the veteran's limits.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "J.'s skills in vehicle operation and shift scheduling transfer mainly to dispatch, scheduling, and routing clerk work. Those occupations require sustained concentration, frequent phone and public contact, and steady pace, which conflict with his documented psychiatric limitations. He tried dispatch work and could not sustain it."

Why it matters: VA denials often assume skills transfer to desk jobs. The analysis tests that assumption with specific occupations. See transferable skills analysis in TDIU cases.

Section 8: Labor Market and Job Base Analysis

Using DOT and O*NET data and labor market information, the expert looks at the jobs that might remain, often the unskilled sedentary jobs a denial has in mind, and asks whether the veteran could get and keep them given the full set of limits.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Unskilled sedentary jobs such as those commonly cited in denials generally require the ability to remain on task for most of the workday and to meet ordinary attendance expectations. J.'s need to change position frequently, his documented absences, and his difficulty working near others erode this remaining job base to the point that competitive employment is not realistic."

Why it matters: this is the direct answer to "you can do sedentary work." It replaces an assumption with occupational data. Our sedentary work rebuttal guide shows how that argument works on appeal.

Section 9: Marginal Employment and Protected Work (When Relevant)

If the veteran works at all, the report addresses whether the work is marginal. Under 38 CFR § 4.16(a), marginal employment is not substantially gainful employment. It generally exists when earned annual income does not exceed the Census Bureau poverty threshold for one person, and it may also be found on the facts, for example employment in a protected environment such as a family business or sheltered workshop.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "J. does not currently work. His two dispatch attempts lasted under two months combined and are better described as failed work attempts than as evidence of ability to sustain employment."

Why it matters: a rater who sees any earnings in the file needs an explanation. Leaving work activity unaddressed invites a denial on that point alone.

Section 10: Opinion Under 38 CFR § 4.16

The report closes by restating the conclusion in the language of the regulation, and by explaining how the combined effect of all service-connected conditions, not each one alone, leads there.

Sample excerpt (fictional): "Considering his service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine condition, and radiculopathy together, along with his education, training, and work history, it is my professional opinion that J. is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation."

Why it matters: tying the opinion to the regulation's words, and to both the economic and non-economic factors the court described in Ray v. Wilkie, 31 Vet. App. 58 (2019), shows the rater exactly how the evidence fits the legal test.

Section 11: Credentials, Methods, and Sources

The final section identifies the expert, their credentials such as CRC certification, the methods used, and the occupational data sources cited, and it is signed and dated.

Why it matters: credentials and a stated method help a rater decide how much weight to give the opinion. Our guide to what VA raters look for in vocational reports explains why template letters without these elements are easy to dismiss.

How to Read Your Own Report

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a real TDIU vocational report?

No. Sample Veteran J. is fictional, and the excerpts were written to illustrate a typical structure. Real reports are individualized, and section names and order vary by case.

How long is a TDIU vocational report?

It depends on the record and the issues. Length matters less than whether each section is supported by the records and connected to the TDIU standard in 38 CFR 4.16.

Does a vocational report diagnose my conditions?

No. A vocational expert relies on the medical evidence in your file for diagnoses and functional limits, then analyzes what those limits mean for employment.

Will the report mention my age?

It may note your age as background, but a sound TDIU opinion should not rest on age, because 38 CFR 4.19 bars VA from considering age as a factor in TDIU.

Can I use a vocational report on appeal?

Generally yes, if it is submitted in an appeal lane that accepts new evidence, such as a Supplemental Claim or the Board's evidence or hearing docket. A Higher-Level Review does not accept new evidence.

Next Step: See Whether a Report Like This Fits Your Claim

TDIU Vocational Services prepares CRC-credentialed reports that include records review, a structured remote interview, transferable skills and labor market analysis, and a written opinion delivered in 5–7 business days once we have both your records and the completed interview. See flat-fee pricing and what is included.

Request a free case fit check to find out whether a vocational report is the right evidence for your claim or your client's file. There is no charge and no obligation.

Related Reading

→ How a TDIU Vocational Evaluation Strengthens Your Claim→ What VA Raters Look for in TDIU Vocational Reports→ Transferable Skills Analysis in TDIU Cases→ What Happens During a TDIU Vocational Assessment

TDIU Services & Resources

→ Vocational assessments for veterans → Evidence for veterans law attorneys → VA forms, regulations & TDIU glossary → Request a free case fit check