by Steve Fields | April 30th, 2025
Facing a disability often means that your life is turned upside down in more ways than one. Beyond the physical challenges of a disability, the difficulty of working adds significant financial stress. That is why applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is so important to financial stability for disabled persons.
The process of applying for these essential benefits is often fraught with confusion, stress, and waiting. If you’ve recently had a consultative exam for social security disability, you may be wondering just how long after a CE exam will I get a decision?
At Fields Law, we’ve helped thousands of clients nationwide over the past 20 years navigate the complicated process of applying for disability benefits. We intimately understand the stress and anxiety the waiting process causes.
Today, we’ll break down the application process and timeline, to give you a solid understanding of how long after an SSDI or SSI exam you can expect a decision.
Understanding the Consultative Exam for Social Security Disability
Anyone seeking disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be required to take a consultative examination for social security disability. The goal of this exam, also known as a CE exam or an Independent Medical Assessment (IMA) disability exam, is for SSA doctors to determine if you meet the organization’s definition of disability.
The exact nature of a CE exam will depend on the specific disability claim, but they can include various physical assessments and exams, mental health evaluations, and diagnostic tests.
CEs are performed by an independent physician or psychologist who is contracted by the SSA. CEs are not performed by your primary care physician. Doctors use the CE to gather additional medical information about your condition beyond what it is available in your regular medical reports.
More specifically, the CE exam is used to gather more information about how your condition hinders or takes away your ability to work.
What to Expect at a Disability Medical Exam
If you have an upcoming CE exam scheduled, knowing what the process entails may be helpful in reducing associated stress and anxiety.
Typically, the consultative exam includes:
- A review of your medical history with the examiner, and the information you provided to the SSA.
- A physical examination that is relevant to your disability. This can include assessing your range of motion, ability to walk or stand, your strength, reflexes and other physical functions.
- Exams for those with claims of a mental health disability will include assessments of your mental health including cognitive abilities, mood, behavior, and social functioning.
- A series of questions about your symptoms, and how they affect your daily life and your ability to work.
We remind our clients that the CE is not intended to provide medical treatment, but to gather information on your specific symptoms and limitations.
With that in mind, we also recommend that you keep a journal or list of your symptoms and limitations, including how your medical condition has impacted your ability to work. Be honest and forthcoming with the physician and provide them with any other details they may request.
Do CE Exams Usually End In Denials For Disability?
A common question we hear from our clients is: “Do CE exams usually end in denials for disability?”
It’s an understandable concern that CEs could be used to disqualify patients from eligibility, particularly when the doctor conducting the exam is not your own. While it is true that claims are often denied the first time, it does not necessarily mean that the CE alone will determine your eligibility for disability benefits.
Patients often wonder the inverse, “Is being asked to take an SSDI CE exam favorable to my case?”
With both questions it’s important to remember that the purpose of a consultative exam for social security disability is to provide the SSA with an objective and comprehensive overview of your health and disability. Being asked to take a CE does not automatically qualify you nor disqualify you from receiving benefits.
As they consider your case, the results of the CE will be used in conjunction with many other types of data to make a final determination. The CE is simply one part of a larger puzzle that the SSA must put together to determine if your condition impacts your ability to work. Only then can a decision be made to determine your eligibility for benefits.
Let’s Talk Timelines: How Long After the CE Will I Get a Decision?
Now that we understand the goal and purpose of a consultative exam for social security disability, we can discuss how long after an SSDI or SSI exam you will get a decision.
Per the SSA’s website, the SSDI/SSI claim processing timeline can be broken down into three steps:
- STEP 1: The SSA field office will evaluate your case to see if you meet the basic, non-medical eligibility requirements.
- STEP 2: If you meet the non-medical requirements, your case will be sent to the State Disability Determination Services (DDS), a state-level branch of the SSA, who will determine if your condition meets their medical disability requirements.
- STEP 3: Based on these results, the field office will either approve or deny your claim via an official decision letter.
As with many things in life, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer for how long after the CE you will get a decision. But generally speaking, the typical timeframe to receive a decision is within 3-6 months after your CE exam. Some individuals may receive a decision sooner, and others may wait longer than 6 months.
Some factors that can influence your decision timeline include:
- Completeness of Medical Records – When you initially submit your application, be sure that your medical records are comprehensive. If there is missing documentation from your primary treating physicians, the SSA will need to request it, delaying the process. Fields Law can ensure your initial application is complete, avoiding delays.
- Complexity of Your Condition – The more complex your medical condition is, including having multiple impairments, the greater a degree of review by the State DDS is required, prolonging the decision timeline.
- Workload of SSA/DDS Offices – The time frame is not only dependent on your specific case, but also the overall caseload of active claims nationwide, and in your particular state. Some regions receive more requests than others, and consequently may have a higher backlog of cases before yours is reached.
For individuals applying for Supplemental Security Income benefits, an additional step involving a review of your financial eligibility also occurs, which adds additional processing time.
Given the varied nature of individual claims, and the unpredictability of current SSDI/SSI caseloads, we recommend that you allow a window of at least 6 months from the time you apply for a decision to be made.
While the decision can potentially come sooner, it’s best to temper your expectations and allow the SSA the time they need to reach a decision.
Understanding the Consultative Exam Report
After you’ve been examined by an SSA contracted physician or psychologist, a detailed report compiling their findings and medical opinions will be created.
This report is sent directly to the SSA and becomes the cornerstone piece of evidence in your disability claim. This report is not typically provided to the claimant (you), but as your legal representative, Fields Law can request a copy on your behalf.
Understanding the contents of the report is extremely helpful in understanding the SSA’s perspective on your case.
Playing the Waiting Game: What You Can Do While You Await a Decision on Your SSDI/SSI Exam
At Fields Law we understand that waiting for a decision on your benefits can feel agonizingly long. The Social Security Administration has never been known as an agile organization, but while you are waiting for your decision, we recommend that you:
- Continue to Receive Medical Treatments – Be sure to continue seeing your treating physician during the process. If your condition worsens, or new symptoms occur, document them.
- Keep Your Own Personal Journal – A personal medical journal documenting the challenges you face, including symptoms, limitations, appointments, and treatments can be helpful in showing the SSA how your condition has impacted your daily life and ability to work.
- Be Patient – Waiting for a decision is frustrating, but it’s best to remain patient and let the process play out naturally. Calling the SSA regularly to ask about your claim will not speed up the process. The decision will come when all the evidence has been collected and the DDS has made a comprehensive review.
- Stay in Contact with Fields Law – If you choose to have Fields Law represent you through the process, we are happy to provide updates on your case as we receive them. If you experience significant delays, Fields law can help. We can also help you navigate the appeals process if you are denied.
Fields Law: Here to Help You Navigate the Disability Process
While it’s not always a cut-and-dry answer how long after your CE exam you’ll get a decision, understanding the process and what it entails can help ease the stress. Navigating the SSDI and SSI application process alone can be frustrating and is only confounded by a lengthy waiting period of 3 to 6 months for a decision. But you don’t have to do it alone.
For over 20 years, Fields Law has helped our diverse set of clients nationwide through the disability application process. Our team of experienced legal professionals can help you throughout the entire process, from setting up a complete application, to submitting an appeal if your initial application is denied.
Our decades of experience have given us the insight to know exactly what the SSA is looking for, and we can help you build a strong application that will give you the best shot at getting a decision ahead of the typical timeline.
If you are facing the disability application process or are currently awaiting a decision on your IMA disability exam, contact Fields Law for a free case review and consultation. It doesn’t cost anything to get your questions answered – even if you’ve already been denied, we can help!
Contact Fields Law any time, day or night, and let us fight for you.
