Hearing Loss VA Rating: The Rating Chart and the Maryland CNC Test (2026)

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Hearing loss is rated differently from almost every other condition. There is no judgment about how much it affects your life. The rating comes from plugging two test results into tables in the regulation. The same numbers always produce the same percentage.

That makes the system predictable. It also means many veterans with real, frustrating hearing loss are rated at 0% or 10%.

Step one: do you have hearing loss by VA’s definition?

For VA purposes, impaired hearing is a disability when any one of these is true in an ear:

• The threshold at any of 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hertz is 40 decibels or greater
• The thresholds at three or more of those frequencies are 26 decibels or greater
• Speech recognition on the Maryland CNC test is less than 94%

If your results do not meet this, VA will deny service connection for hearing loss even if you notice difficulty.

Step two: how the rating is calculated

1. Puretone threshold average. The audiologist measures the quietest tone you can hear at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz and averages the four numbers for each ear.
2. Speech discrimination. You repeat a recorded list of words. The percentage you get right is your Maryland CNC score for each ear.
3. Table VI. The two results for each ear are looked up to give a Roman numeral from I (near normal) to XI (profound loss).
4. Table VII. The numerals for your better ear and poorer ear are looked up together to give the percentage.

VA hearing loss rating chart

You can see why low ratings are so common. If your better ear is level I, you are at 0% until the other ear is very poor.

The Maryland CNC test: what to expect

The Maryland CNC is the speech recognition test VA requires for every hearing loss rating. CNC stands for consonant-nucleus-consonant: each test word is a short, one-syllable word built as a consonant, a vowel sound, then a consonant.

• It is a recorded word list. VA’s audiology exam instructions call for the 50-word VA-approved recording, so every veteran hears the same words in the same voice. A clinic that reads words aloud live, or uses a different list, does not meet VA’s standard.
• Each ear is tested separately, through headphones, without hearing aids.
• You repeat each word back. Your score is the percentage you repeat correctly in each ear.
• The volume is set from your own hearing. The audiologist first finds the softest level at which you can follow speech, then plays the words louder than that. If your score is low, they test again at other volumes to find your best score.
• Guessing is fine. If you heard part of a word, say what you think it was. Do not exaggerate. Audiologists compare your speech score with your tone results, and answers that do not fit together get the test marked unreliable.

Your score in each ear goes into Table VI together with your puretone average. A lower speech score raises the Roman numeral for that ear, and with it the rating.

There is no way to study for the test, and the word lists are not something to memorize. The useful preparation is practical: get any earwax cleared beforehand, and get a good night’s sleep.

When the speech test is not used

If the audiologist certifies that the speech test is not appropriate, for example because of language difficulties or inconsistent scores, VA rates from the puretone results alone using Table VIa.

Exceptional patterns

Two patterns get special treatment, where the audiologist uses whichever table gives the higher numeral:

• The threshold is 55 decibels or more at each of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz
• The threshold is 30 decibels or less at 1000 Hertz and 70 decibels or more at 2000 Hertz. In this case the numeral is also raised by one level.

If your audiogram shows either pattern, check that the examiner applied it.

Why a private hearing test may not control

For rating purposes, VA requires both the puretone test and the Maryland CNC word list, given by a state-licensed audiologist. Many private clinics use a different word list. A private audiogram is still useful evidence that you have hearing loss and when it was found, but VA will usually order its own exam for the rating.

If you get a private test, ask the audiologist to use the Maryland CNC and to say so on the report.

Getting service connected

You need hearing loss that meets VA’s definition, noise exposure or another cause in service, and a link.

• Noise exposure. VA assesses how likely hazardous noise was in your job. See the discussion in the tinnitus guide.
• Entrance and separation audiograms. A shift in thresholds during service is strong evidence, even if your hearing was still “normal” at separation.
• Normal hearing at separation is not the end. VA cannot deny solely because you had normal hearing when you left. A medical opinion can explain delayed-onset hearing loss from noise damage. Without one, examiners often give a negative opinion.

Sensorineural hearing loss is on the list of chronic diseases, so if it appeared to a compensable degree within a year of discharge, it is presumed service connected.

At the exam

• Do not wear hearing aids during testing.
• Respond honestly. Audiologists run consistency checks and will note unreliable responses.
• Describe the functional effect: trouble with conversation in noise, on the phone, at work, needing the television loud. The examiner is required to record this.

Why a 0% rating is still worth having

• VA hearing aids and batteries, at no cost
• It makes tinnitus easier to connect
• It supports secondary claims
• If your hearing gets worse, you only need to show the new test results to get an increase. Service connection is already settled.

Hearing loss from noise tends to worsen with age. If you were rated years ago, a new audiogram may support a higher rating.

Is earwax (cerumen impaction) rated by VA?

No. Earwax buildup is not listed in VA’s rating schedule for the ear, and it is treatable, so it is not a disability VA compensates. It still matters for your claim, because wax blocking the ear canal can make a hearing test look worse or better than your real hearing. If an ear is blocked on exam day, the audiologist should note it, and the test may need to be repeated after the wax is removed.

Ear conditions VA does rate include chronic ear infections, chronic otitis externa, Meniere’s disease, and tinnitus.

Related benefits

Profound deafness in both ears can qualify for Special Monthly Compensation. If hearing loss affects your ability to do your job, mention it. In unusual cases, VA can consider a rating outside the tables.

Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.