Hearing · 38 CFR 4.85-4.86
VA Hearing Loss Rating Calculator
Hearing loss is one of the few VA ratings that is calculated, not judged. Enter the numbers from your audiogram. This tool runs the same tables the VA uses, and shows its work. You see exactly how the rating comes together. It is an estimate, not a decision. But it tells you what to expect.
Medically reviewed by the Patriot Path Medical Team
Licensed MD reviewers • Last updated: June 2026
Estimate your rating
You will need your audiogram. Enter the hearing level in decibels at four pitches for each ear, plus your Maryland CNC word-recognition score. Do not have it yet? The VA measures all of this at your hearing exam.
Enter the numbers from your audiogram. For each ear, you need the hearing level in decibels at four pitches, plus your Maryland CNC word-recognition score. Then choose which ears are service-connected, and calculate.
The three ways the VA can rate your hearing
Every ear gets a Roman numeral from I (near normal) to XI (profound). The VA can reach that numeral three ways. The calculator picks the right one for you and tells you which it used.
The standard path (Table VI)
Most ratings use Table VI. It takes two numbers for each ear: your puretone threshold average and your Maryland CNC word-recognition score. The puretone average is your hearing level in decibels, averaged across 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz. Those two numbers land on a Roman numeral from I to XI. Better hearing means a lower numeral.
The puretone-only path (Table VIa)
Sometimes the word test cannot be used. A language barrier or unsteady scores are common reasons. When the examiner certifies that, the VA uses Table VIa. It sets the numeral from the puretone average alone (38 CFR 4.85(c)).
Exceptional patterns of loss (38 CFR 4.86)
Two unusual patterns get special handling. The first: your hearing level is 55 dB or worse at all four pitches. Then the VA uses whichever table gives the higher numeral. The second: it is 30 dB or better at 1000 Hz, but 70 dB or worse at 2000 Hz. Then the VA takes the higher table and bumps the numeral up one step. The noise-damage 'notch' often triggers this one.
Then both ears are combined (Table VII). Your better ear and your poorer ear meet on a final grid. Where they cross is your percentage, from 0% to 100%. The better ear carries most of the weight. So two ears with moderate loss often still land at 0% or 10%.
One ear service-connected? If only one ear is connected to service, the VA assigns the other ear a designation of I (38 CFR 4.85(f)). But if that ear also has real loss, 38 CFR 3.383 may let the VA use its true level. It is worth asking about.
Is it even a disability? Hearing loss only counts for VA purposes once it crosses the thresholds in 38 CFR 3.385. If your loss is mild, the VA may find it does not yet qualify, even at 0%.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this calculator?
It uses the exact tables from 38 CFR 4.85 and 4.86, so the math matches the VA's. But the official rating comes from an exam by a state-licensed audiologist. Your real word-recognition score, or an exceptional pattern of loss, can move the result. Treat it as an estimate.
Where do I find these numbers?
On your audiogram or your C&P exam report. For each ear, you need the hearing level in decibels at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz. You also need your Maryland CNC word-recognition score, a percent. Do not have them yet? The VA measures all of this at the hearing exam.
Why does the calculator show 0%?
The formula leans heavily on word recognition, so a 0% result is common even with real, documented loss. A 0% rating still makes your hearing loss service-connected, which protects you if it worsens and lets it pair with a 10% tinnitus rating.
Does tinnitus get added to this?
Tinnitus is rated separately at a flat 10% under DC 6260, then combined with your hearing loss rating. This calculator covers hearing loss only.
Know your number. Now make it count.
A rating only helps if the claim is connected to your service. Our physicians write the nexus letter that ties your hearing loss to the noise you lived through. The first consultation is free.
Sources & Regulatory References
- VA disability compensation (VA.gov) https://www.va.gov/disability/
- 38 CFR 4.85, Evaluation of hearing impairment, Tables VI, VIa, VII (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.85
- 38 CFR 4.86, Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.86
- 38 CFR 3.385, Disability due to impaired hearing (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-3.385
- 38 CFR 3.350, Special monthly compensation ratings (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-3.350