Every VA disability rating comes from the same place: the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 CFR Part 4). VA matches your condition to a diagnostic code, then assigns a percentage based on how your symptoms measure against that code's criteria. This guide breaks down how the most commonly awarded conditions are rated — and whether to claim each one directly or as a secondary.
Straight talk first
Most veterans never read the rating schedule, so the number VA hands back feels random. It isn't. Every condition has a diagnostic code with specific criteria, and your percentage is just where your symptoms land on that ladder. Once you can read the criteria for your condition, two things happen: you know whether the rating you got is right, and you know what evidence would support a higher one. That's the whole game — not arguing you're hurt, but showing where you fall on the code.
The other half is how you claim it. A condition that started in service is a direct claim. A condition caused or worsened by something already service-connected is a secondary under 38 CFR 3.310. Many conditions can be either.
How VA assigns a rating
- Diagnosis — a current, documented condition.
- Diagnostic code — VA picks the code in 38 CFR Part 4 that fits.
- Severity — your symptoms are measured against that code's criteria (range of motion, test results, frequency, etc.).
- Percentage — VA assigns the percentage the criteria support.
- Combine — each condition's percentage combines with the rest using VA math, not addition.
The most commonly awarded conditions
These are among the conditions VA awards most often. Each guide explains the diagnostic code, how the rating is decided, and how to claim it (direct or secondary):
- PTSD — DC 9411, rated 0–100% on occupational and social impairment (38 CFR 4.130).
- TBI — DC 8045, rated across cognitive, emotional, and physical residuals.
- Sleep apnea — DC 6847; a required CPAP is a 50% rating.
- Tinnitus — DC 6260, a flat 10% (the most commonly awarded condition).
- Migraines — DC 8100, rated by the frequency of "prostrating" attacks.
- Back — DC 5237, the Spine Formula (range of motion); nerves rated separately.
- Depression & anxiety — DC 9434/9400, the same mental-health formula as PTSD.
- Hearing loss — DC 6100, rated from objective audiology tests.
- Sciatica / radiculopathy — DC 8520, the sciatic nerve (very commonly secondary to a back condition).
- Shoulder / arm — DC 5201, limitation of motion of the arm (dominant vs. non-dominant matters).
- GERD — DC 7206, rated under the 2024 digestive rules.
- Hypertension — DC 7101, rated by blood-pressure readings.
- Scars and burns — DC 7800–7805, rated by size, location, and whether they're painful or unstable.
- Ankle — DC 5271, limited motion of the ankle.
Related guides in the secondary-conditions cluster cover the same conditions from the secondary angle — caused or aggravated by another service-connected disability (e.g. sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, the knee).
Direct vs. secondary — pick the right lane
- Direct — the condition began in service or was caused by an in-service event (noise exposure → hearing loss, a documented injury → a joint condition).
- Secondary — an already service-connected condition caused or aggravated it (a service-connected back → sciatica; a bad knee → the opposite knee).
Same condition, different evidence. The Secondary Conditions Finder helps map the secondary chains; for direct claims, the file-your-own guide covers the mechanics.
Key takeaways
- Every rating comes from a diagnostic code in 38 CFR Part 4 — your percentage is where your symptoms land on that code.
- Reading the criteria tells you both whether your rating is right and what evidence supports more.
- Each condition can be claimed directly or as a secondary — the cause decides the lane.
- Percentages combine with VA math; run them through the Combined Rating Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- How does VA decide a disability rating percentage?
- VA matches your condition to a diagnostic code in the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 CFR Part 4) and assigns a percentage based on how severe your symptoms are against that code's criteria. Each condition gets its own percentage, and those percentages then combine using VA math — not simple addition.
- What is a diagnostic code?
- A diagnostic code is the number VA uses to identify a condition in its rating schedule — for example, 6100 for hearing loss, 8520 for the sciatic nerve, or 5271 for the ankle. The code tells you which criteria VA uses to decide your percentage.
- Are these conditions claimed directly or as secondaries?
- It depends on the cause. A condition that started in service (or was caused by an in-service event) is claimed directly. A condition caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability is claimed as a secondary under 38 CFR 3.310. Many conditions can be either — what matters is the evidence of cause.
- Why doesn't my combined rating equal the sum of my conditions?
- VA uses 'whole person' math, not addition. Each condition is applied to the remaining non-disabled portion, then the total is rounded to the nearest 10. That's why two 50% conditions combine to 75% (rounded to 80%), not 100%.
Sources
- 38 CFR Part 4 — Schedule for Rating Disabilities: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4
- 38 CFR 3.310 — secondary service connection: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-3/subpart-A/section-3.310
- 38 CFR 4.25 — combined ratings table: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-4/subpart-A/section-4.25
- VA — How VA decides service connection: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/
