Hearing loss is the second most common service-connected disability in the VA system — yet it's routinely rated at 0% or 10% even when veterans have measurable, significant hearing impairment. The reason: the VA uses a highly specific audiogram grid that many veterans (and even some examiners) don't fully understand. This guide decodes Tables VI and VIa, explains how your pure tone average and speech discrimination scores combine into a Roman numeral category, and shows you how to build the strongest possible hearing loss claim — including the critical tinnitus pairing that most veterans miss.
Ratings governed by 38 CFR § 4.85 — Evaluation of Hearing Impairment. See also: 38 CFR § 4.86 — Exceptional Patterns of Hearing Impairment, DC 6100 — Hearing Loss.
Before any rating can be assigned, you must establish service connection for hearing loss. 38 CFR §3.385 sets the minimum threshold: hearing loss is considered a disability for VA purposes when the pure tone threshold in any of the tested frequencies (500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, or 4000 Hz) is 40 decibels (dB) or greater, OR when the pure tone thresholds in two or more of those frequencies are 26 dB or greater.
This is critically important: a veteran may have subjective hearing difficulty that doesn't meet §3.385's audiometric criteria — and the VA will deny service connection. Conversely, a veteran whose audiogram meets these thresholds is entitled to at least a 0% rating (non-compensable but service-connected), which preserves future rights as hearing worsens.
A service-connected 0% hearing loss rating locks in your effective date. If your hearing deteriorates in the future, you can file for an increased rating — and your back pay will go back to your original effective date, which could be years ago. File for service connection now, even if you expect a 0% rating.
Hearing loss is rated under 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 6100. Unlike most VA diagnostic codes, DC 6100 doesn't use a simple table of symptoms matched to percentages. Instead, it uses a two-step grid system based entirely on objective audiological test results:
This system is designed to ensure consistent, objective ratings based on measurable hearing function. The two key measurements are:
Table VI cross-references your pure tone average (rows) against your speech discrimination score (columns) to produce a Roman numeral category (I through XI) for each ear. Here is a simplified representation of Table VI:
| Pure Tone Avg (dB) | SDS 92–100% | SDS 84–90% | SDS 76–82% | SDS 68–74% | SDS 60–66% | SDS 52–58% | SDS ≤50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–41 dB | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII |
| 42–48 dB | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII |
| 49–55 dB | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX |
| 56–62 dB | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X |
| 63–70 dB | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI |
| 71–77 dB | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XI |
| 78–83 dB | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XI | XI |
| 84–100 dB+ | VIII–XI | IX–XI | X–XI | XI | XI | XI | XI |
Note: This is a simplified representation. The full Table VI in 38 CFR Part 4 has more granular rows. The official VA table should always be used for actual rating decisions.
The key takeaway: speech discrimination score is just as important as pure tone average. A veteran with moderate PTA loss (55 dB) but excellent speech discrimination (96%) rates at Roman numeral III. The same PTA with poor speech discrimination (54%) rates at Roman numeral VIII. The speech test result can dramatically change your category — which is why you should never take a C&P exam when you have a cold, ear infection, or anything temporarily affecting your hearing.
Once you have the Roman numeral category for each ear, Table VIa tells you the combined disability rating. The table cross-references the better ear (columns) against the poorer ear (rows):
| Poorer Ear → Better Ear ↓ | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII–XI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| II | 0% | 0% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 20% | 20% |
| III | 0% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 20% | 20% | 30% |
| IV | 10% | 10% | 10% | 20% | 20% | 30% | 40% |
| V | 10% | 10% | 20% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
| VI | 10% | 20% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
| VII–XI | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70%–100% |
This is a condensed representation. The full Table VIa has separate columns for categories VII through XI to capture severe bilateral loss.
Here's a plain-English interpretation of what each Roman numeral category represents and what it means for your claim:
| Category | Approximate Hearing Level | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|
| I | Normal / near-normal | No functional hearing loss; PTA ≤41 dB, SDS 92–100% |
| II | Mild | Difficulty with soft speech; PTA 42–48 dB range or reduced SDS |
| III | Mild-moderate | Difficulty in groups or noisy environments |
| IV | Moderate | Regular difficulty understanding speech; may use hearing aids |
| V | Moderate-severe | Significant communication difficulties; hearing aids required |
| VI | Severe | Major communication barrier; significant SDS reduction |
| VII–XI | Profound/total loss | Little to no usable hearing; SDS severely impaired or absent |
Let's walk through a real example. Suppose a veteran's C&P audiology exam produces these results:
Step 1 — Find Roman numeral for right ear using Table VI:
PTA row: 49–55 dB. SDS column: 68–74% (which includes 72%). Intersection = Roman numeral VI.
Step 2 — Find Roman numeral for left ear using Table VI:
PTA row: 56–62 dB. SDS column: 60–66% (which includes 64%). Intersection = Roman numeral VIII.
Step 3 — Find disability percentage using Table VIa:
Better ear = right ear (VI). Poorer ear = left ear (VIII). Using Table VIa: better ear VI, poorer ear VII–XI = 60%.
This veteran rates at 60% for hearing loss — worth $1,395.93/month in 2025 before adding tinnitus and other conditions. Understanding the grid can be the difference between 0% and 60%.
If your speech discrimination score seems higher than your actual experience — for example, you routinely mishear words in conversation but scored 92% in the booth — this may reflect test conditions rather than real-world function. Request that the test be conducted at a realistic conversational loudness level (approximately 40–50 dB HL) rather than the louder level sometimes used. A lower SDS directly increases your Roman numeral category and your rating.
The VA rates bilateral hearing loss as a single combined disability using Table VIa — you don't receive two separate ratings that stack together. Instead, both ears are evaluated and the combined result from Table VIa is your single hearing loss rating. This is different from, say, bilateral knee conditions where you get a rating for each knee separately plus the bilateral factor.
However, if one ear has complete hearing loss or deafness (Roman numeral XI, or no speech discrimination whatsoever), it can qualify for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC-K) in addition to the hearing loss rating, worth an additional $127.75/month in 2025.
File for each ear separately in terms of service connection (list both left and right hearing loss on your claim form), but understand that the rating will be calculated on a combined basis using Table VIa.
Tinnitus and hearing loss almost always go together — and the VA rates them separately, which means separate ratings that combine. This is one of the most valuable pairings in VA disability claims.
Tinnitus (DC 6260) is rated at a flat 10% for recurrent tinnitus, regardless of severity or whether it's bilateral or unilateral. There is a maximum of one 10% rating for tinnitus, even if both ears are affected.
How the pairing helps:
Never file for hearing loss without also filing for tinnitus if you have ringing, buzzing, hissing, or any constant sound in your ears. They are almost universally caused by the same noise exposure and the additional 10% tinnitus rating is easy to establish once service connection for noise exposure is documented.
For a complete guide to the tinnitus rating specifically, read our companion post: VA Disability Rating for Tinnitus: Why It's the #1 Claimed Condition.
Use the claim.vet disability calculator to model your combined rating with hearing loss, tinnitus, and any other service-connected conditions.
Calculate My Combined Rating →Establishing service connection for hearing loss requires linking your current audiometric findings to a specific noise exposure event or occupational hazard during military service. The good news: the VA and courts have established relatively clear standards for noise-induced hearing loss claims.
VA adjudicators have access to the VA/DoD Noise Exposure Guideline — a publication that documents the hazardous noise exposure associated with specific military occupations. If your MOS is listed as hazardous (artillery, infantry, aviation, armor, engineers, certain support roles), that documentation alone can establish the in-service noise exposure element of your claim without requiring specific incident documentation.
High-noise MOSs and equipment include:
Noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss is a chronic disease under VA regulations. Once noise exposure during service is established, a nexus to current hearing loss is presumed if the hearing loss is sensorineural (nerve/cochlear damage) — the type caused by noise. A private audiologist's statement confirming the sensorineural nature of your loss and linking it to known occupational noise exposure can strengthen a claim that the VA would otherwise rate skeptically.
If your service records don't document specific noise exposures (many don't), buddy statements from fellow service members can establish the in-service noise environment. A statement from a fellow crewmember or unit member describing the noise conditions of your shared duty — firing weapons, riding in vehicles, working near aircraft — can serve as lay evidence of in-service noise exposure. File these on VA Form 21-10210.
Once you file a hearing loss claim, the VA will schedule a Compensation & Pension (C&P) audiology examination at a VA facility or through QTC/LHI (VA contract examiners). The exam must be conducted by a state-licensed audiologist, not a general physician.
The exam typically includes:
The VA's Disability Benefits Questionnaire for hearing loss is VA Form 21-0960N-1. A private audiologist can complete this form for you — and doing so before your C&P exam gives you a baseline document showing your hearing function. Key sections:
Having a private DBQ completed by an audiologist you've built a relationship with — one who knows your full history — often produces more complete and favorable documentation than a 20-minute C&P exam with an examiner you've never met.
The following are 2025 monthly VA disability compensation rates (effective December 1, 2024, with 2.5% COLA) for a veteran with no dependents:
| Combined Rating | Monthly Pay (No Dependents) |
|---|---|
| 0% (non-compensable) | $0 (but service-connected — preserves future rights) |
| 10% | $175.51 |
| 20% | $346.95 |
| 30% | $537.42 |
| 40% | $774.16 |
| 50% | $1,102.04 |
| 60% | $1,395.93 |
| 70% | $1,759.19 |
| 80% | $2,044.89 |
| 90% | $2,297.96 |
| 100% | $3,831.30 |
A veteran with a 10% hearing loss rating (mild bilateral loss, Roman numeral categories II/III) and a 10% tinnitus rating earns a combined rating of 19%, rounded to 20% — $346.95/month. If their hearing loss rates at 30% (Roman numerals IV/V) plus 10% tinnitus, the combined is 37%, rounded to 40% — $774.16/month. Over a 30-year retirement, the difference between a properly documented 40% claim and an improperly rated 10% claim is approximately $230,000 in lifetime benefits.