Almost every combat-era veteran was exposed to hazardous noise. Rifles, artillery, rotors, generators, engines, IEDs — the modern battlefield and the modern motor pool are both loud enough to permanently damage hearing. And yet a huge number of veterans file neither of the two claims they are owed, or file one and forget the other. Hearing loss and tinnitus are separate, separately compensable conditions, and combat vets should file both.
This guide covers how the VA actually measures hearing (the two-test system most veterans don’t understand), the DC 6100 rating tables and why hearing loss so often rates 0%, why tinnitus is the easiest 10% in the schedule, the MOS-based presumption of acoustic trauma, and how to file even decades after separation.
Two codes, two claims
Tinnitus — DC 6260 (§ 4.87): flat 10%, $180.42/month in 2026. Hearing loss — DC 6100 (§ 4.85): 0–100%, driven by the audiogram. File them together — they are independent and never overlap.
How the VA measures hearing: the two-test system
Hearing-loss ratings are not based on how you feel or how loud the world seems. They are computed from two objective tests, always performed together at the audiology C&P exam:
1. The puretone audiogram
The examiner measures the quietest sound you can hear (your threshold, in decibels) at four frequencies: 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz. The average of those four numbers is your puretone threshold average for that ear.
2. The Maryland CNC speech-discrimination test
The examiner reads (or plays) a standardized list of words — the Maryland CNC word list — and scores the percentage you repeat correctly. The VA requires this specific test. A different speech test does not satisfy the schedule.
Then the tables do the work
The VA takes your puretone average and your Maryland CNC score into Table VI of 38 CFR § 4.85, which produces a Roman numeral (I through XI) for each ear. Then Table VII cross-references the two ears’ numerals to produce the percentage rating. There is also § 4.86 for “exceptional patterns” of hearing loss (for example, 55 dB or more at all four frequencies), which can be rated more favorably.
Why hearing loss so often comes back 0%
The DC 6100 tables are strict. Real, measurable, frustrating hearing loss frequently converts to 0%. That is not a denial — it is a service-connected 0% grant. It documents the condition, locks your effective date, and can be increased when your hearing worsens (and noise-induced hearing loss usually does). Veterans who skip the hearing-loss claim because “it’ll just be 0%” throw away that future-increase play.
Tinnitus: the easiest 10% in the schedule
Tinnitus sits at the opposite end of the difficulty scale from hearing loss. Under DC 6260 it is a flat 10% — no 0%, 20%, or 30% — and the Federal Circuit capped it there in Smith v. Nicholson (2007). Three things make it nearly automatic for a noise-exposed veteran:
- No objective test exists. The audiologist cannot hear your ringing. Your competent report is the evidence under 38 CFR § 3.159(a)(2).
- You are competent to report it. Charles v. Principi (2002) and Jandreau v. Nicholson (2007) confirmed a veteran can testify to ringing in their own ears.
- The noise exposure is usually conceded through your MOS (see below).
The full tinnitus playbook — the winning lay statement, the C&P script, and the secondaries (sleep, mental health, migraines) that stack on top — is in the dedicated tinnitus claim guide and the tinnitus condition guide.
The MOS-based acoustic-trauma presumption
The hardest part of any claim is normally the in-service event. For hearing claims, the VA largely solves it for you. The Adjudication Procedures Manual (M21-1) carries duty-MOS noise-exposure probability lists. If your MOS is high- or moderate-probability, the regional office effectively concedes that you suffered acoustic trauma in service. High-probability jobs include:
- Combat arms: 11B, 11C, 0311, 0341, 0351
- Artillery: 13B, 13F, 0811, 0844
- Armor / cavalry: 19D, 19K
- Aviation: 15-series, 67-series, 6112
- Motor pool / mechanic: 63B, 91B, 3521
- Engineer: 12B, 1371
If your DD-214 shows a job like these, you usually do not have to prove the noise — you have to document the hearing loss and tinnitus that resulted from it.
Filing decades after service
There is no deadline to file a VA claim, and noise-induced hearing damage often does not announce itself for years. To win a hearing or tinnitus claim long after separation, build the bridge:
- Current diagnosis — the audiogram (hearing loss) and your reported ringing (tinnitus). The C&P audiology exam supplies both.
- In-service noise exposure — your MOS plus a short personal statement describing the exposure (ranges, deployments, equipment).
- Continuity of symptoms — a statement that the ringing / hearing trouble began in or shortly after service and continued. A buddy statement corroborating either the noise or your reports of ringing is powerful. The Lay Statement Generator builds this with your MOS and dates, and the buddy statement guide has the 5-element template.
How to file both claims
- File VA Form 21-526EZ listing both “tinnitus” and “bilateral hearing loss” as claimed conditions.
- Attach a personal statement on the in-service noise exposure and continuity, plus any buddy statement on VA Form 21-10210.
- Prepare for the audiology C&P exam. Read the Hearing Loss DBQ field guide and the Tinnitus DBQ field guide, then run the C&P Exam Prep tool with DC 6100 and DC 6260 selected.
- If hearing loss rates 0%, keep the grant — it protects your effective date and can be increased as your hearing declines.
For the guided, end-to-end version — from intent-to-file through the audiology exam through the secondaries that tinnitus opens up — the Claim Coach runs the whole sequence.
Quick answers
Are hearing loss and tinnitus separate VA claims?
Yes. They are separate, separately compensable conditions. Tinnitus is rated under 38 CFR § 4.87 Diagnostic Code 6260 at a flat 10%. Hearing loss is rated under 38 CFR § 4.85 Diagnostic Code 6100 on a 0–100% scale driven by audiogram results. You should claim both at the same time if both are present — they do not overlap or pyramid.
How does the VA measure hearing loss?
Two tests, always together. A puretone audiogram measures your hearing thresholds in decibels at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz, and the Maryland CNC test measures speech discrimination (the percentage of words you can repeat correctly). The VA plugs the puretone average and the speech-discrimination score into Table VI of 38 CFR § 4.85 to get a Roman numeral for each ear, then uses Table VII to convert the two numerals into a percentage rating.
Why does hearing loss often rate 0%?
Because the DC 6100 tables are demanding. Mild to moderate measured loss frequently converts to a 0% rating even though it is a real, recognized disability. A 0% rating is still a service-connected grant — it documents the condition, protects your effective date, and can be increased later as your hearing deteriorates. Filing it is never wasted even if the first rating is 0%.
Why is tinnitus called the easiest 10%?
Because there is no objective test for tinnitus — your own competent report is the evidence under 38 CFR § 3.159(a)(2) — and most military jobs concede the noise exposure. A documented noise-exposed MOS plus a lay statement that the ringing began in service and continued is usually enough. It is a flat 10% under DC 6260 with no higher or lower tier.
Can I file decades after I left service?
Yes. There is no deadline to file a VA disability claim. Hearing loss and tinnitus from in-service acoustic trauma frequently take years to be diagnosed or to worsen to the point a veteran files. The keys are a current diagnosis, evidence of in-service noise exposure (your MOS and a lay statement), and a continuity-of-symptoms statement bridging service to now.
What is the MOS-based acoustic trauma presumption?
The VA Adjudication Procedures Manual (M21-1) carries duty-MOS noise-exposure probability lists. If your MOS — combat arms, artillery, armor, aviation, motor pool, engineer, and many others — carries a high or moderate probability of hazardous noise exposure, the regional office effectively concedes the in-service acoustic trauma element without you having to prove a specific event.
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Educational content only. This is not legal, medical, or financial advice. Always consult an accredited VSO or VA-accredited attorney for claim-specific guidance. CFR citations: 38 CFR § 3.159(a)(2), § 3.385 (hearing-loss thresholds), § 4.85 (Tables VI / VII, DC 6100), § 4.86 (exceptional patterns), § 4.87 DC 6260 (tinnitus). Federal Circuit precedent: Charles v. Principi (2002), Jandreau v. Nicholson (2007), Smith v. Nicholson (2007). MOS noise-exposure probability per VA M21-1. Rate values from va.gov/disability/compensation-rates (FY2026, effective Dec 1, 2025).