The hearing loss VA rating frustrates more veterans than almost any other, because a claim you know is legitimate can still come back at 0%. Hearing loss and tinnitus are two of the most-claimed conditions in the whole system, yet the hearing schedule runs on a two-table formula that catches most people off guard. Here's how VA actually turns your hearing test into a percentage.
The hearing loss VA rating runs on math that almost no one explains before the decision letter lands. Unlike most conditions, VA doesn't rate hearing on how the loss affects your daily life, or even on the raw decibels alone. It feeds your test results through two lookup tables in 38 CFR § 4.85, and the number that falls out is often lower than the damage feels. That gap — between real, service-connected loss and a 0% rating — is the single most common source of frustration in hearing claims, and it comes straight from how the formula is built. Understand the formula, and the decision letter stops being a mystery.
A hearing rating starts with one exam, done by a state-licensed audiologist — VA doesn't accept just any hearing screen for rating purposes. That exam has to include two specific tests, and both feed the tables:
Every ear ends up with two numbers — a puretone average and a speech score. Those four numbers (two per ear) are the entire raw material of the rating. Nothing about how loud you run the TV or how often you say "what?" enters the calculation directly, which is exactly why the exam itself is worth preparing for the way we cover in C&P exam preparation.
Before any percentage gets assigned, your hearing has to qualify as a disability at all. Under 38 CFR § 3.385, VA recognizes hearing loss when the auditory threshold at any one of 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hz is 40 decibels or greater; or when thresholds at three of those frequencies are 26 decibels or greater; or when your Maryland CNC speech score is less than 94%. Clear that bar and get the loss service-connected, and you're in the door — but being "in the door" and being paid are two different things, which is where the tables come in.
Diagnostic Code 6100 is the only code for hearing loss, and it doesn't work like the word-based or degree-based codes on the rest of the schedule. It's a two-step lookup:
| Step | What goes in | What comes out |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Table VI | One ear's puretone average + its Maryland CNC score | A Roman numeral, I (near-normal) through XI (profound), for that ear |
| 2 — Table VII | The Roman numeral for the better ear + the poorer ear | The final percentage, 0% to 100% |
So each ear is scored into a Roman numeral first, and then the two numerals are cross-referenced against each other to produce the rating. There's also a Table VIA, an alternate that assigns the Roman numeral from the puretone average alone — used when the speech test isn't valid (a language barrier, inconsistent scores) or under the exceptional-pattern rule below. The mechanics are rigid on purpose: two veterans with the same audiogram get the same number, every time.
Here's the part that stings. The classic military hearing-loss pattern — high-frequency loss from ranges, flight lines, engine rooms, and armor — often lands each ear at a low Roman numeral like I or II. And when two low numerals meet on Table VII, they intersect at 0%. You can have genuine, well-documented, service-connected hearing loss and still see a noncompensable rating, because the formula simply doesn't reach 10% until the numbers in both ears climb, or the poorer ear gets quite bad.
A 0% rating is not a denial. It means the condition is recognized and service-connected but sits below the 10% threshold VA requires before it pays compensation. That still matters: it's on your record, it can support later claims, and it can be re-evaluated if your hearing worsens over time. But it explains why "I know my hearing is shot and they gave me nothing" is one of the most common things veterans say about this rating — the rating reflects the tables, not how much the loss disrupts your life.
VA recognizes that Table VI understates two unusual audiogram shapes, so 38 CFR § 4.86 carves out special handling for them. It's worth knowing whether your audiogram fits either one:
Each ear is checked separately. If your audiogram matches one of these patterns and the decision didn't apply the rule, that's exactly the kind of detail worth raising with an accredited representative.
Hearing loss almost never travels alone. Tinnitus — the ringing — is the condition veterans most often claim alongside it, and the two are rated under separate diagnostic codes: hearing loss under 6100, tinnitus under its own code. A 0% hearing loss rating paired with a 10% tinnitus rating is one of the most common outcomes in the whole system. Because they're separate ratings, they combine using VA's whole-person math rather than simple addition — our tinnitus VA rating guide covers why tinnitus caps at 10%, and the VA disability calculator lets you see how a hearing and tinnitus rating fold into a combined number and the monthly figure attached to it.
Because the rating is driven almost entirely by test numbers, the strongest hearing files focus on getting the right evidence in front of the right examiner:
Describe all of it accurately and completely — our standard on every condition is accuracy, never exaggeration. If you want the full method for building a hearing file and prepping for the audiology exam the way we'd build our own, the VA Disability Mastery course walks through it step by step.
Diagnostic Code 6100 and the Table VI / VIA / VII system in 38 CFR §§ 4.85 and 4.86 are the current rules, and the "check the audiogram against the tables" approach has been stable for years. VA can still revise the rating schedule over time, and it applies specific protection and due-process rules before reducing an existing rating. If your claim turns on the exact criteria, confirm the current version on VA's official channels or with an accredited representative before you rely on any summary, including this one.
What is the VA rating for hearing loss?
Hearing loss is rated from 0% to 100% under Diagnostic Code 6100, but most service-connected hearing loss is rated 0% or 10%. VA runs each ear's puretone threshold average and Maryland CNC speech score through Table VI to get a Roman numeral, then cross-references both ears on Table VII to read out the percentage. Only meaningful numerals in both ears reach the higher levels. VA decides every rating.
Why did I get 0% for hearing loss?
A 0% rating usually means the tables produced a noncompensable level, not that your claim was denied. Mild-to-moderate high-frequency loss — the classic noise-exposure pattern — commonly maps to the lowest Roman numerals, which intersect at 0% on Table VII. It's still service-connected, still on your record, and can be revisited if your hearing worsens. VA decides all ratings.
Can I get VA disability for hearing loss and tinnitus at the same time?
Yes. Hearing loss and tinnitus are rated under separate diagnostic codes, so a hearing loss rating and a separate tinnitus rating can both apply and then combine using VA whole-person math. A 0% hearing loss rating alongside a 10% tinnitus rating is a common pairing. VA decides all ratings.
Our VA Disability Mastery course walks through the audiology exam, the Maryland CNC test, service-connecting the noise, and how to build a hearing file the way we'd build our own. Or start free — find the gaps in 60 seconds with the readiness quiz or the preparation checklist.
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