MST Visual Guide Library

19 printable one-page charts that catalogue how VA claims related to military sexual trauma work: the relaxed evidence standard under 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5), what counts as behavioral marker evidence, which condition to actually claim, the current VA Form 21-0781, building an evidence timeline, lay statements, C&P exam preparation, free MST treatment and how it differs from compensation, reviewing a prior denial, and research on the marker language that appears in published Board decisions.

19 visual guides. 2 research charts refresh weekly from RateMyVSO's analysis of 1,897,000+ published BVA decisions; each chart prints its own sample size and data date. The other 17 state the rules, the forms, and the process, or report a dated federal review, and change only when their source does.

How to use this library

Every guide is a single tall image sized for printing or saving to your phone. Select any card to open the full-resolution image, or use the download link under it. The rule and process charts summarize the published criteria; the research charts report how often marker language appeared in published Board decisions, with the population and data date printed on the chart itself.

These charts catalogue published rules and what appears in published Board decisions. The marker research counts how often certain evidence language was detected in decision text. It is not a checklist, not a requirement, and not a prediction about any individual claim, and no fixed number or type of markers is needed. These charts are not legal or medical advice. For the full written guidance behind them, start with the MST claims guide.

Common Questions

Can I download, print, and share these guides?
Yes. Every guide has a free full-resolution PNG download, sized for printing on letter paper or reading on a phone. Share them freely; please keep the footer attribution intact so readers can find the underlying data.
How current are the research numbers?
The research charts are regenerated every week from the same data files that power this site's live MST marker statistics. Each chart prints the generation date of its own data sources in the footer, so you always know exactly when its numbers were produced.
Do these charts predict my claim?
No. They report what happened in published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, which are appeals, not initial claims, and are described with their exact sample on each chart. An observed grant share is a description of past decided cases, never a probability for any individual claim.

Related Tools and Guides

MST Claims Guide
The written guidance behind these charts, from what to claim through the C&P exam.
Stressor Verification
How 38 CFR 3.304(f)(5) works, including AZ v. Shinseki and the 2024 form change.
PTSD Visual Guides
The companion 18-poster PTSD library, including the rating formula.
BVA Decision Search
Search the published Board decisions these research charts are built from.
Educational use only. These visual guides catalogue published VA rules and observed outcomes in published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions. They are not legal or medical advice, do not predict any individual claim, and are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sample sizes and data dates are printed on each chart.