VA rates hearing loss under Diagnostic Code 6100, and it's one of the few conditions rated by pure formula. Two objective tests — a puretone audiometry average and the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test — get run through fixed tables in 38 CFR 4.85 to produce a percentage from 0% to 100%. How you feel about your hearing doesn't move the number; the test results do.
Straight talk first
This is the condition veterans most often feel cheated by — and it's because hearing loss is rated by math, not by symptoms. You can struggle every day and still land at 0% under the tables. That's not VA ignoring you; it's the formula. The move isn't to argue you can't hear — it's to make sure the testing is done right and that you've also claimed what travels with it, especially tinnitus.
This is the hearing-loss cut of how VA rates conditions.
How the rating actually works (DC 6100)
A state-licensed audiologist runs two tests without hearing aids:
- Puretone audiometry — VA takes the thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz and divides by four to get a puretone threshold average for each ear.
- Maryland CNC speech discrimination — a word-recognition score.
Those two numbers map to a Roman numeral (I–XI) for each ear using Table VI. Then Table VII cross-references the better ear against the worse ear to produce the final percentage (0–100%). When speech testing isn't appropriate (language barrier or inconsistent results), Table VIa uses the puretone average alone.
Why "0%" happens — and why it still matters
Because it's formula-driven, plenty of veterans with genuine difficulty land at 0% (noncompensable). A 0% rating pays nothing, but it establishes service connection — which matters because it preserves the claim for future increases as hearing worsens and supports related claims. Don't dismiss a 0% grant; it's a foothold.
Claiming hearing loss
Hearing loss is usually a direct claim tied to in-service noise exposure — weapons fire, aircraft, generators, heavy machinery. You need:
- A current diagnosis from a VA-recognized hearing test.
- Evidence of the in-service noise exposure (your MOS often supports this).
- A nexus linking the two.
The mechanics are in how to file your own claim. And because tinnitus so often rides along with the same exposure, claim it too — then see how both move your total in the VA Combined Rating Calculator.
Key takeaways
- Hearing loss (DC 6100) is rated by formula — puretone average + Maryland CNC speech test through fixed tables.
- Real difficulty can still rate 0%; the tables, not your symptoms, set the number.
- A 0% grant still establishes service connection — valuable for future increases and related claims.
- Usually a direct claim from in-service noise; claim tinnitus alongside it.
Frequently asked questions
- How does VA rate hearing loss?
- Under Diagnostic Code 6100, VA rates hearing loss mechanically from two objective tests given by a state-licensed audiologist: a puretone audiometry average (the thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz, divided by four) and the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test. Those results map to a Roman numeral for each ear, and the two ears cross-reference to a percentage.
- Why is my hearing loss rated 0% when I clearly can't hear well?
- Because the rating is formula-driven, not based on how you feel. Many veterans with real hearing difficulty fall into a 0% (noncompensable) rating under the tables. A 0% rating still establishes service connection, which can matter for secondaries, future increases, and tinnitus claimed alongside it.
- Is tinnitus the same as hearing loss?
- No. Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is rated separately under Diagnostic Code 6260 and is one of the most commonly awarded conditions. Many veterans claim both, since the same noise exposure often causes them. See our tinnitus guide for that side.
- How do I claim hearing loss from service noise?
- Hearing loss is usually a direct claim tied to in-service noise exposure (weapons, aircraft, machinery). You need a current diagnosis from a VA-recognized hearing test, evidence of the in-service noise exposure, and a nexus linking them. Your MOS and any documented exposure help establish it.
Sources
- 38 CFR 4.85 — evaluation of hearing impairment (Tables VI, VIa, VII): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.85
- 38 CFR 4.86 — exceptional patterns of hearing impairment: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.86
- VA — Hearing loss and tinnitus: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/
- 38 CFR 4.87 — schedule of ratings, ear (DC 6100): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.87
