As always great advice here! The exams I've gone through (was through VA ratings), was basically a physical. Try to bend this, push etc...nothing more. The one that examined me asked me to stand (I am in a wheelchair). I told him to be ready to catch me, I went to stand and crumbled directly. Exam over! I haven't recieved my rating yet, but the PVA rep. told me she feels that I'll be R1. Different regions take different amounts of time to process everything. I just applied a month ago so it does seem to moving along. Where I'm at Roanoke, VA is my regional office, all the major stuff wheelchair, ramps....etc. is handled by what they call major medical then I was sent to the OT. Georgia my PVA rep says that my grants should be approved within a month. I'll let you know what happens. We live in a single wide, where my wheelchair doesn't fit through the hall to the bathroom. So I know what your pals is going through. We put in for the full grant and am planning on buying a house or possibly building one. Of course we'll have to get a loan along with the grant. They did say they were going to send an OT to check out our place. Anyways that's where I'm at. I'll let you know how long it takes (if you don't get finished first)..