Certified Veterans Advocate (CVA) Course

THE REGISTRATION PROCESS AND THIS PAGE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION- issues, questions or comments can be emailed to: 
NACVSO - Director of Education, Karen Smietanski- ksmietanski@nacvso.org

Certified Veterans Advocate (CVA) is an advanced training certification course designed for NACVSO-Accredited Veteran Service Officers. The CVA Program will provide a high-level skill set unique to a CVSO to assist a claimant beyond the point of filing claims and/or Supplemental Claims or Higher Level Reviews. The CVA training will also cover more complex and comprehensive claims. The goal of the CVA certification is to enable NACVSO-Accredited CVSOs to analyze VA Benefit Decisions and strategize the best course of action for the claimant.  In order to qualify as a Certified Veterans Advocate, CVSOs must pass a rigorous final exam and have a strong working knowledge of the subject matter in the NVLSP Veterans Benefits Manual.  Quite simply, CVA graduates are elite County Veteran Service Officers.  CVA courses are offered at the conference (in-person) and in December.

Cost - $300 (one time fee)

PLANNING ALERT - The Conference (in-person) CVA course is the Saturday & Sunday before the conference.

July 12th and 13th, 2025

Returning CVA candidates and graduates - please complete the registration form.  There is no course fee for your ongoing attendance in the CVA program. Registration IS REQUIRED to ensure you receive all communications.

PRE-REQUISITES

Must have 5 years experience in Veterans Benefits.
Must hold NACVSO accreditation for a minimum of three years.
Must have a PIV Card for VA Systems Access. 
Complete NACVSO Advanced Appeals course prior to CVA examination.

CVA COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Complete a total of 27 hours of formal training which will be offered twice a year - at the NACVSO Annual Conference and virtually in December. 9 hours of CVA training will be offered at each CVA course. Attendees will be granted CEU credit. CVA candidates must attend 3 CVA courses within a 5-year period.

2. Exhibit thorough knowledge of VA claims representation in all entitlement areas by:
Completing an examination with a minimum score of 80%.

CVA candidates that are eligible to take the final exam need a copy of the NVLSP Veterans Benefits Manual, either print or electronic. A practice exam/study guide will be made available 2 weeks prior to the CVA session. It is highly recommended that candidates utilize that time to study for the exam.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW CANDIDATES:

Please have the following documents (PDF) ready for upload prior to submitting your registration:

Briefly explain in essay format your reasons for seeking the professional designation of “Certified Veterans Advocate (CVA)”. Please include how your completion of this program will benefit your claimants. The essay should be 500 to 750 words long.

Please provide a minimum of two Letters of Recommendation describing why you are an ideal candidate for the advanced CVA program.

*** Application fee is a one-time charge. If you have already paid, you DO NOT need to pay again.

ONCE YOU RECEIVE THE "SUCCESS" PAGE, PLEASE LOOK FOR THE CVA APPLICATION. ALL STUDENTS NEED TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION.