The ALJ will ask about your medical condition, your work history, and how your condition affects daily life

An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) conducts a hearing to understand whether your condition prevents you from working. The judge asks questions to build a picture of your medical history, what doctors have found, what you can and cannot do physically and mentally, and how you spent your time before you stopped working. There is no single script—different judges ask different questions—but the topics are consistent across hearings.

The judge is not trying to trick you. They are trying to gather facts that are not already in your file. Your medical records show what doctors observed. Your testimony shows what your life is actually like. The judge needs both to make a decision.

Key Takeaways

  • The ALJ will ask detailed questions about your medical diagnoses, treatments, medications, and what your doctors have told you about your condition.
  • You will be asked about your work history—the jobs you held, what you did in those jobs, and why you stopped working.
  • The judge will ask how your condition affects your ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, concentrate, remember instructions, and interact with others.
  • Bring medical records, a list of your medications and dosages, and notes about your daily routine so you can answer accurately without guessing.
  • Answer only what is asked, take your time, and say "I don't know" or "I don't remember" rather than making something up.

Questions about your medical history and current treatment

The ALJ will ask you to describe each condition you listed in your process. For each one, expect questions like: When were you first diagnosed? What doctor diagnosed it? What tests did they do? What medications do you take now, and what are the dosages? Have you had surgery or other procedures? What side effects do your medications cause?

The judge may ask what your doctors have told you about your condition—whether it is stable, getting worse, or improving. They may ask whether you follow your treatment plan and, if not, why. They may ask about hospitalizations, emergency room visits, or time in rehabilitation. If you have missed appointments or stopped taking medication, be honest about it and explain why if you can.

Bring a written list of every medication you take, including the dose and how often you take it. Bring the names and dates of your doctors' visits. If you have had imaging (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans) or lab work, know the approximate dates. The judge will have your medical records, but you speaking about them shows you understand your own condition.

Questions about your work history and why you stopped working

The ALJ will ask about each job you held in the past 15 years. For each job, be ready to describe: the job title, the company or type of employer, how long you worked there, what your main duties were, and how much you lifted or stood or sat during the day. The judge may ask whether you worked with the public, whether you followed written or verbal instructions, and whether you worked alone or with others.

The judge will ask why you stopped working. If your condition made it impossible to continue, describe what happened. Did you have a flare-up? Did you try to keep working and find you could not? Did your doctor tell you to stop? Did you have an accident? The judge is looking for a clear connection between your condition and the end of your work.

If you left a job for a reason other than your condition—you quit, you were fired, the job ended—say so. The judge will ask follow-up questions to understand whether your condition played a role. If you have worked since your condition began, even part-time or for a short time, the judge will ask about that work and why you are no longer doing it.

Questions about what your body can and cannot do

The ALJ will ask about your physical abilities in detail. Can you sit for long periods? How long before you need to stand or move? Can you stand for long periods? How long before you need to sit? Can you walk? How far? Do you need a cane, walker, or other aid? Can you climb stairs? Can you bend or squat? Can you lift or carry things? How much weight?

The judge may ask about pain, numbness, weakness, or stiffness. Do you have good days and bad days? On a bad day, what can you do? On a good day, what can you do? The judge is trying to understand your typical day, not your best day or your worst day.

Be specific. Instead of "I can't walk far," say "I can walk about a block before my knee swells and I need to sit down." Instead of "My back hurts," say "I can sit for about 20 minutes before I have to stand and stretch, and standing for more than 10 minutes makes the pain worse." The judge needs to know what work-like activity means for your body.

Questions about your mental and cognitive abilities

If you have a mental health condition, a learning disability, or a condition affecting memory or concentration, the ALJ will ask how it affects your thinking and your ability to work. Can you concentrate? For how long? Do you forget things? Do you have trouble following instructions? Do you have trouble learning new tasks? Do you have anxiety or panic attacks? How often? What triggers them?

The judge may ask whether you can be around other people, whether you can take criticism or correction, whether you can handle stress, and whether you can work on a schedule. If you have been hospitalized for a mental health reason, the judge will ask about that. If you see a therapist or psychiatrist, the judge will ask what you discuss and what they have recommended.

Again, be specific. Instead of "I have anxiety," say "I have panic attacks when I am around crowds, and I have to leave the room. This happens about twice a week." Instead of "I can't concentrate," say "I can read for about 15 minutes before I lose focus and have to take a break."

Questions about your daily life and activities

The ALJ will ask what you do during a typical day. Do you cook? Do you clean? Do you do laundry? Do you shop? Do you drive? Do you go out alone? The judge is not looking for a confession that you are lazy. They are trying to understand what activities your condition allows and what it prevents.

If you can do some household tasks but not others, say which ones and why. If you can do a task on some days but not others, say that. If you need help from family or friends, say so. If you spend most of your day in bed or on the couch, say that. The judge needs to know whether your condition is as limiting as you say it is.

The judge may ask about hobbies or interests. If you have any, be honest about them. If you garden, play video games, watch television, or spend time on social media, the judge may ask about that. This is not a trap—the judge is checking whether your activities match what you have said about your limitations. If you can spend three hours gardening but say you cannot sit for more than 20 minutes, the judge will notice the mismatch.

Questions from the vocational informed (if one is present)

At some hearings, a vocational informed is present. This person has knowledge of jobs and what they require. The vocational informed may ask about your work history to confirm details, or they may ask whether you could do your past jobs with your current condition. They may also testify about what jobs exist that match your abilities, based on what the ALJ has learned about you.

If a vocational informed asks you questions, answer them the same way you answered the ALJ's questions—specifically, honestly, and without guessing. The vocational informed's job is to help the judge understand whether work is possible for you, not to argue for or against you.

How to prepare for the questions you will face

Write down your medical history before the hearing. Include the names of all your conditions, the dates you were diagnosed, the names of your doctors, and the treatments you have had. Write down all your medications with dosages. Write down your work history with job titles, dates, and a brief description of what you did.

Write down a typical day—what time you wake up, what you do, what limits you, what time you go to bed. Write down your symptoms and how they change. Write down questions you have for the judge or the vocational informed.

Practice answering questions out loud. Have a family member or friend ask you about your condition and your work. Listen to your own answers. Are they specific? Do they make sense? Can you say them without getting emotional, even if the topic is hard?

Bring all your medical records, test results, and letters from your doctors. Bring your list of medications. Bring your work history. Bring a notebook and pen so you can take notes if you need to remember something the judge said.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don't remember the exact date I started a medication or saw a doctor?

Say you don't remember the exact date, but give your best estimate—"sometime in 2021" or "about two years ago." The judge has your medical records and can fill in exact dates. It is better to say you don't remember than to guess and be wrong.

Can I bring someone to the hearing to help me answer questions?

Yes. You can bring a family member, friend, or representative. They cannot answer questions for you, but they can help you stay calm and remind you of details you might forget. If you have a lawyer or advocate, they will be there to represent you and may object to questions that are unfair.

What if I get emotional during the hearing?

It is normal to get upset when talking about your condition and how it has affected your life. Take a break if you need one. The judge will wait. Crying or showing emotion does not hurt your case, and it does not help it—what matters is what you say, not how you say it.

Can the judge ask me questions about things not in my process?

Yes. The judge may ask about conditions you did not mention, jobs you did not list, or activities you did not describe. If the judge asks about something, answer honestly. If you did not mention something in your process, explain why—you forgot, you did not think it was important, or you were not sure how to describe it.

What if I disagree with what the vocational informed says about my abilities?

You can say so. If the vocational informed says you could do a job and you believe you cannot, explain why. The judge will consider your testimony along with the informed's opinion. Your lawyer or representative can also object or ask follow-up questions.