VA Hearing Loss Rating Calculator

This is an unofficial estimate. It applies the 38 CFR rating schedule to the numbers you enter. Only the VA can assign an official rating, and it does so from a VA-recognized exam by a licensed audiologist. Other service-connected conditions, and the VA combined-ratings table, can change your overall rating. Nothing here is legal or medical advice.

How to use this calculator

1. Find your audiogram. Your VA exam report lists your hearing thresholds in decibels (dB) at several pitches.
2. Enter the right-ear threshold at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz (Hz). These are the only four pitches the rating schedule uses.
3. Enter your right-ear Maryland CNC speech discrimination score. That is the percent of words you repeated correctly. If your exam says the speech test was not appropriate, tick the Table VIA box for that ear instead.
4. Repeat both steps for your left ear.
5. Select Calculate rating. The tool shows each ear’s puretone threshold average, its Roman numeral, and your estimated rating.

How it works

The VA rates hearing loss with a fixed method set in federal regulation: 38 CFR 4.85 and 38 CFR 4.86. The method is a set of lookup tables, not a free-form score, so the same audiogram always gives the same result. This tool reproduces those tables and shows each step instead of hiding it.

First, it finds the puretone threshold average for each ear. The puretone threshold average is the sum of your thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz, divided by four, as defined in 38 CFR 4.85(d). Only those four pitches count, even though an audiogram tests more.

Next, it assigns each ear a Roman numeral from I to XI, where I is the least impairment and XI the most. By default it reads Table VI, which cross-references your puretone threshold average against your Maryland CNC speech discrimination percent. When your examiner certifies that the speech test is not appropriate under 38 CFR 4.85(c), the tool reads Table VIA instead, which uses the puretone average alone.

Then it checks the two exceptional patterns in 38 CFR 4.86 for each ear, because ordinary Table VI scoring can understate certain losses. Pattern (a) applies when your threshold is 55 dB or more at every one of the four pitches; the tool then takes whichever of Table VI or Table VIA gives the higher numeral. Pattern (b) applies when your threshold is 30 dB or less at 1000 Hz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hz; the tool takes the higher numeral, then raises it one more step.

Finally, it reads Table VII to combine both ears. Your better-hearing ear (the lower numeral) picks the row, and your poorer-hearing ear (the higher numeral) picks the column. The cell where they meet is your rating, from 0 to 100 percent in 10-point steps. Because the better ear caps the result, strong loss in one ear can still give a low combined rating when the other ear hears well.

Examples

These cases trace real audiogram numbers all the way through, so you can check your own entry against them.

Mild-to-moderate loss with good speech scores. Enter right-ear thresholds of 30, 40, 50, and 60 dB with an 88 percent speech score, and left-ear thresholds of 25, 35, 45, and 55 dB with a 92 percent score. The right ear averages 45 dB, which lands in Table VI as Roman numeral II; the left ear averages 40 dB, which is numeral I. In Table VII the better ear (I) sets the row and the poorer ear (II) sets the column, and that cell is 0 percent. A 0 percent rating still confirms service connection.

Pattern (a) under 38 CFR 4.86, where good speech masks severe loss. Enter both ears at 55, 60, 70, and 85 dB with a 94 percent speech score. Each ear averages 68 dB. Table VI alone would read numeral II because the speech score is high, but every pitch is 55 dB or more, so pattern (a) applies. Table VIA gives the higher numeral, V, for each ear. In Table VII, better ear V and poorer ear V give 20 percent, where ordinary scoring would have shown 0 percent.

Pattern (b) under 38 CFR 4.86, a steep high-pitch drop. Enter the right ear at 25, 75, 80, and 85 dB and the left ear at 30, 70, 75, and 80 dB, both with speech in the mid-80s. Each ear has 30 dB or less at 1000 Hz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hz, so pattern (b) applies. The tool takes the higher of Table VI and Table VIA, which is V, then raises it one step to VI for each ear. In Table VII, better ear VI and poorer ear VI give 30 percent.

How the VA turns your audiogram into a rating, step by step

The rating method in 38 CFR 4.85 is a chain of three lookups. Walk it once and the final percent stops feeling random.

1. Average each ear. Add your thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz and divide by four. That gives the puretone threshold average for that ear, the only summary of your audiogram the schedule uses (38 CFR 4.85).
2. Find each ear’s Roman numeral. Cross-reference the puretone average against your Maryland CNC speech score in Table VI, and read the Roman numeral where the row and column meet. The numerals run from I, the least impairment, to XI, the most (38 CFR 4.85).
3. Combine both ears in Table VII. Your better-hearing ear, the one with the lower numeral, sets the row; your poorer-hearing ear, the higher numeral, sets the column. The cell where they cross is your rating, from 0 to 100 percent in 10-point steps (38 CFR 4.85).

Take the standard example above. The right ear averages 45 dB and pairs with an 88 percent speech score to give numeral II; the left ear averages 40 dB for numeral I. In Table VII, better ear I and poorer ear II land on 0 percent. This walk-through is informational; your official figure comes from a VA Compensation and Pension exam.

When Table VIA and the 38 CFR 4.86 exceptional patterns apply

Most ratings run through Table VI, which pairs your puretone average with your speech score. Two situations send you down a different path, and each ear is judged on its own (38 CFR 4.85).

The first is Table VIA, which reads a Roman numeral from the puretone average alone and ignores the speech score. The VA uses it when the examiner certifies that a speech discrimination test is not appropriate under 38 CFR 4.85(c), for reasons such as a language barrier or scores that are not consistent (38 CFR 4.85).

The second is the pair of exceptional patterns in 38 CFR 4.86. They exist because ordinary Table VI scoring can understate certain shapes of loss. Use this guide to tell which one fits an ear:

If an ear shows	The VA does this
55 dB or more at each of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz (pattern (a))	Reads the Roman numeral from both Table VI and Table VIA and keeps the higher one
30 dB or less at 1000 Hz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hz (pattern (b))	Keeps the higher of Table VI and Table VIA, then raises that numeral one more step

Both checks run per ear, so one ear can use a pattern while the other does not (38 CFR 4.86). If an ear meets both patterns, the higher-table result is taken first and then elevated one step.

How tinnitus is rated separately at 10% and combined with hearing loss

Tinnitus, the ringing or buzzing many veterans hear, is its own condition under the rating schedule, not part of your hearing loss percent. A few terms make the relationship clear.

Tinnitus rating

Tinnitus is rated under 38 CFR 4.87, diagnostic code 6260, at a single 10 percent whether you have it in one ear or both. It does not enter the Table VII hearing percent at all; it is a separate evaluation.

Combined rating

Your hearing loss percent and your tinnitus percent do not simply add up. The VA merges them with the combined ratings table in 38 CFR 4.25, which treats each rating as acting on the part of you that the earlier rating left. So a 0 percent hearing loss combined with a 10 percent tinnitus is 10 percent overall, but two larger ratings combine to less than their sum. VA.gov explains how the combined math works (VA disability ratings).

Why VA hearing loss ratings often come out lower than veterans expect

A common surprise is opening a decision letter and seeing 0 or 10 percent after years of struggling to follow conversations. The gap is built into the formula, not a mistake.

Three design choices push the number down. Table VII caps the result with your better ear, so strong loss in one ear matters little when the other ear still hears well (38 CFR 4.85). The puretone average counts only 1000 through 4000 Hz, so loss that sits mostly above or below that band barely moves the rating. And a good speech discrimination score can hold your Table VI numeral low even when the puretone average is high. The result is that loss the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association would label moderate or even severe can still map to a low schedular percent (ASHA, degree of hearing loss).

If your rating feels too low, first confirm a 38 CFR 4.86 exceptional pattern was applied where your audiogram qualifies, since those are the cases most often missed. Then treat this estimate as a starting point, not a verdict, and consider talking with the VA or an accredited Veterans Service Organization before you act on it.

What the data says

If you want to check the math on your audiogram yourself, the rating is more rigid than most veterans expect. Under the VA schedule, hearing loss is scored only in whole 10-point steps from 0 up to 100 percent, so there is no such thing as a 5 percent or 15 percent hearing rating (38 CFR 4.85). And the puretone threshold average uses just four pitches, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz, divided by four, so loss outside those four pitches never moves that average (38 CFR 4.85(d)).

The table competitors rarely print is Table VIA, the ladder that turns a puretone average straight into a Roman numeral with no speech score involved. Read your own four-pitch average off it (38 CFR 4.85):

Puretone threshold average (dB)	Roman numeral
0 to 41	I
42 to 48	II
49 to 55	III
56 to 62	IV
63 to 69	V
70 to 76	VI
77 to 83	VII
84 to 90	VIII
91 to 97	IX
98 to 104	X
105+	XI

The regulation also spells out a rule many veterans never hear about: the exceptional pattern that can raise a numeral by a step.

“When the puretone threshold is 30 decibels or less at 1000 Hz, and 70 decibels or more at 2000 Hz, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIA, whichever results in the higher numeral. That numeral will then be elevated to the next higher Roman numeral.”

38 CFR 4.86(b), Code of Federal Regulations.

A few things trip people up most often. People are commonly surprised that a rating comes back at 0 or 10 percent even when they clearly cannot hear, because the formula weights the better ear. People often do not know about the 38 CFR 4.86 exceptional patterns and worry the rater never applied them, which is exactly where loss is most often understated. And people commonly assume severe tinnitus boosts the hearing number, when tinnitus is rated separately at a flat 10 percent and then combined.

What this tool does that others don’t

• It shows every step. You see each ear’s puretone threshold average and Roman numeral, plus which table was used, instead of a single black-box percent. That lets you check the result against your audiogram and the regulation.
• It handles both 38 CFR 4.86 exceptional patterns. Pattern (a) and pattern (b) are exactly the cases where ratings are most often understated, and many calculators skip them. This tool tests both for each ear and tells you when one applied.
• It explains the Table VIA path. The tool notes that Table VIA is used when the speech test is certified not appropriate under 38 CFR 4.85(c), and it shows that path next to the standard Table VI path.
• It gives worked examples. Each example maps sample audiogram numbers from puretone average to Roman numeral to the final Table VII percent, so you have something to compare your own entry against.
• It states the better-ear and poorer-ear rule plainly, and it notes the 38 CFR 4.85(f) rule that a non-service-connected ear counts as numeral I, which often confuses single-ear claimants.

Frequently asked questions

How is a VA hearing loss disability rating calculated?

Under 38 CFR 4.85, the VA averages your audiogram thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz for each ear to get the puretone threshold average. It then cross-references that average with your Maryland CNC speech score in Table VI to assign each ear a Roman numeral from I to XI. Table VII combines both ears into a single percent from 0 to 100 in 10-point steps. This tool reproduces that exact process.

What is the VA puretone threshold average?

It is the sum of your hearing thresholds, in decibels, at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz, divided by four. The VA uses this one average for each ear when it looks up your Roman numeral in Table VI or Table VIA. Only those four pitches count toward the rating, even though an audiogram may test others. The rule is set in 38 CFR 4.85(d).

What is the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test?

The Maryland CNC test is a controlled word test that measures the percent of single-syllable words you repeat correctly. 38 CFR 4.85 requires VA hearing exams to use the Maryland CNC word list along with puretone audiometry, given without hearing aids by a state-licensed audiologist. That score is the speech input the rating uses in Table VI.

How do you read VA Table VI for hearing loss?

Table VI is a grid. One axis is your puretone threshold average and the other is your Maryland CNC speech percent. You find the row band that contains your average, find the column band that contains your speech score, and read the Roman numeral where they cross. This tool does that lookup for you and shows the resulting numeral for each ear.

What is Table VIA used for in VA hearing loss ratings?

Table VIA assigns a Roman numeral from your puretone threshold average alone, ignoring the speech score. The VA uses it when the examiner certifies that a speech test is not appropriate under 38 CFR 4.85(c), for reasons such as a language barrier or inconsistent scores. It is also used inside the 38 CFR 4.86 exceptional-pattern comparison. Tick the Table VIA box for an ear to use this path.

How does Table VII combine both ears into a rating?

Your better-hearing ear (the lower Roman numeral) sets the row, and your poorer-hearing ear (the higher numeral) sets the column. The cell where they intersect is your percent, from 0 to 100 in 10-point steps. Because the better ear caps the result, significant loss in one ear can still give a low combined rating when the other ear hears well.

What is an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment under 38 CFR 4.86?

These are two cases where ordinary Table VI scoring understates loss. Pattern (a): when your threshold is 55 dB or more at each of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz, the VA uses whichever of Table VI or Table VIA gives the higher numeral. Pattern (b): when your threshold is 30 dB or less at 1000 Hz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hz, the VA takes the higher numeral, then raises it one step. This tool checks both for each ear.

Can you get 0 percent for hearing loss from the VA?

Yes. A 0 percent, or noncompensable, rating is common when both ears fall in the lowest Roman numeral ranges, because Table VII assigns 0 percent to many ear combinations. A 0 percent rating still establishes service connection, which can matter for a future increase or for a related claim such as tinnitus.

Sources

• 38 CFR 4.85, eCFR. The current federal rule for evaluating hearing impairment: the puretone threshold average definition, Tables VI, VIA, and VII, and the better-ear and poorer-ear rule.
• 38 CFR 4.85, Cornell Law LII. Mirror of the same rule, including the 4.85(c) Table VIA condition and the 4.85(f) rule for a non-service-connected ear.
• 38 CFR 4.86, eCFR. The current text of the two exceptional patterns, subsections (a) and (b).
• 38 CFR 4.86, Cornell Law LII. Mirror of the exceptional-pattern rule.
• 38 CFR 4.85, GovInfo PDF (2022 edition). Official U.S. GPO print that renders Tables VI, VIA, and VII, used to verify each cell value.