EDPNA COMPREHENSIVE EXAM ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Claimant is in charge of proving to SSA he/she is blind/disabled.
- SSA responsibility is development (10/20 days for records to come in) 1 FU request -
then they have 10 days.
- SSA will request CEs if needed - ✔✔Who is responsible for evidence? 404.1512
406.1512
✔✔Categories of Evidence 404.1502 404.1513 416.902 416.913 - ✔✔1. Objective
Medical Evidence
2. Acceptable Medical Source
3. Other sources
✔✔Objective Medical Evidence - ✔✔Medical signs that can be observed through
acceptable clinical diagnostics techniques, lab findings or both.
example: evidence of reduced joint motion, muscle spasm, sensory deficit or motor
disruption.
- Diagnostic techniques include chemical tests (such as blood tests),
electrophysiological studies (such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms),
medical imaging (such as X-rays), and psychological tests.
✔✔Acceptable Medical Evidence - ✔✔We need objective medical evidence from an
AMS to establish the existence of a medically determinable impairment (MDI) at step 2
of the sequential evaluation process
Examples
1. Physicians (MD or DO)
2. Licensed/Certified Psychologists (also School Psych)
3. Licensed Optometrist/Podiatrist/Audiologist/Speech-Language Pathologist
***Claims filed after 3/27/2017 accept sources from:
APRN, APN, Certified Nurse Midwife, CNS, CRNA, NP - although these might weigh
less
✔✔Opinion Evidence - ✔✔Evidence of what a physician or person thinks, believes, or
infers in regard to a fact in dispute, as distinguished from personal knowledge of the
facts.
- reflects the nature or severity of impairment & establishment of RFC.
✔✔Sequential Evaluation Process 404.1520 - ✔✔1. At the first step, we consider your
work activity, if any. If you are doing substantial gainful activity, we will find that you are
not disabled.
, 2. We consider the medical severity of your impairment(s). If you do not have a severe
medically determinable physical or mental impairment that meets the duration
requirement of 12 mo. , or a combination of impairments that is severe and meets the
duration requirement, we will find that you are not disabled.
3. We also consider the medical severity of your impairment(s). If you have an
impairment(s) that meets or equals one of our listings in appendix 1 of this subpart and
meets the duration requirement, we will find that you are disabled.
4. We consider our assessment of RFC & your past relevant work. If you can still do
your past relevant work, we will find that you are not disabled. (cannot be found
disabled on step 4)
5. We consider our assessment of your RFC and your age, education, and work
experience to see if you can make an adjustment to other work. If you can make an
adjustment to other work, we will find that you are not disabled.
✔✔Listings of Impairments - ✔✔Appendix 1 Subpart P
- ALWAYS pay attention to the and/or in listings.
- Part A - Criteria that applies to individuals 18 or older
- Part B - Criteria that applies to individuals under 18
Each section includes introductions and specific listings
✔✔Gainful Work Activity - ✔✔Work activity that you do for pay or profit
✔✔Past Relevant Work (PRW) 404.1565 - ✔✔Work a claimant performed within the last
15 years (since onset) which lasted long enough for him or her to learn the job and
which was substantial gainful activity.
- TIP: not all past work is relevant work
✔✔Exertional Limitations 404.1569 - ✔✔Conditions that limit an individual's ability to
meet the strength demands of a job.
- standing, walking, sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling
✔✔Non-Exertional Limitations 404.1569 - ✔✔Restrictions that affect an individual's
ability to meet the demands of jobs other than strength.
- ex. Difficulty functioning due to anxious/nervousness/depression
- Diff. maintaining attention/concentration
- Diff seeing/hearing
- Diff understanding/remembering
- Issues tolerating dust/fumes
- Issues reaching stooping/climbing/crawling/crouching/handling
***If a claimant only has non-exertional impairments, the GRID rules do not direct
factual conclusions of disabled /not disabled as they do w/ exertional impairments
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Claimant is in charge of proving to SSA he/she is blind/disabled.
- SSA responsibility is development (10/20 days for records to come in) 1 FU request -
then they have 10 days.
- SSA will request CEs if needed - ✔✔Who is responsible for evidence? 404.1512
406.1512
✔✔Categories of Evidence 404.1502 404.1513 416.902 416.913 - ✔✔1. Objective
Medical Evidence
2. Acceptable Medical Source
3. Other sources
✔✔Objective Medical Evidence - ✔✔Medical signs that can be observed through
acceptable clinical diagnostics techniques, lab findings or both.
example: evidence of reduced joint motion, muscle spasm, sensory deficit or motor
disruption.
- Diagnostic techniques include chemical tests (such as blood tests),
electrophysiological studies (such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms),
medical imaging (such as X-rays), and psychological tests.
✔✔Acceptable Medical Evidence - ✔✔We need objective medical evidence from an
AMS to establish the existence of a medically determinable impairment (MDI) at step 2
of the sequential evaluation process
Examples
1. Physicians (MD or DO)
2. Licensed/Certified Psychologists (also School Psych)
3. Licensed Optometrist/Podiatrist/Audiologist/Speech-Language Pathologist
***Claims filed after 3/27/2017 accept sources from:
APRN, APN, Certified Nurse Midwife, CNS, CRNA, NP - although these might weigh
less
✔✔Opinion Evidence - ✔✔Evidence of what a physician or person thinks, believes, or
infers in regard to a fact in dispute, as distinguished from personal knowledge of the
facts.
- reflects the nature or severity of impairment & establishment of RFC.
✔✔Sequential Evaluation Process 404.1520 - ✔✔1. At the first step, we consider your
work activity, if any. If you are doing substantial gainful activity, we will find that you are
not disabled.
, 2. We consider the medical severity of your impairment(s). If you do not have a severe
medically determinable physical or mental impairment that meets the duration
requirement of 12 mo. , or a combination of impairments that is severe and meets the
duration requirement, we will find that you are not disabled.
3. We also consider the medical severity of your impairment(s). If you have an
impairment(s) that meets or equals one of our listings in appendix 1 of this subpart and
meets the duration requirement, we will find that you are disabled.
4. We consider our assessment of RFC & your past relevant work. If you can still do
your past relevant work, we will find that you are not disabled. (cannot be found
disabled on step 4)
5. We consider our assessment of your RFC and your age, education, and work
experience to see if you can make an adjustment to other work. If you can make an
adjustment to other work, we will find that you are not disabled.
✔✔Listings of Impairments - ✔✔Appendix 1 Subpart P
- ALWAYS pay attention to the and/or in listings.
- Part A - Criteria that applies to individuals 18 or older
- Part B - Criteria that applies to individuals under 18
Each section includes introductions and specific listings
✔✔Gainful Work Activity - ✔✔Work activity that you do for pay or profit
✔✔Past Relevant Work (PRW) 404.1565 - ✔✔Work a claimant performed within the last
15 years (since onset) which lasted long enough for him or her to learn the job and
which was substantial gainful activity.
- TIP: not all past work is relevant work
✔✔Exertional Limitations 404.1569 - ✔✔Conditions that limit an individual's ability to
meet the strength demands of a job.
- standing, walking, sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling
✔✔Non-Exertional Limitations 404.1569 - ✔✔Restrictions that affect an individual's
ability to meet the demands of jobs other than strength.
- ex. Difficulty functioning due to anxious/nervousness/depression
- Diff. maintaining attention/concentration
- Diff seeing/hearing
- Diff understanding/remembering
- Issues tolerating dust/fumes
- Issues reaching stooping/climbing/crawling/crouching/handling
***If a claimant only has non-exertional impairments, the GRID rules do not direct
factual conclusions of disabled /not disabled as they do w/ exertional impairments
