Rating Guide

The VA uses a schedule of rating criteria to decide what percentage each condition is worth. The schedule lives in 38 CFR Part 4, which is thorough but not exactly readable.

Coming soon

This page will break down VA disability ratings in plain English, condition by condition. For each diagnostic code, you'll see:

• What each rating level means in everyday terms
• The exact criteria from 38 CFR, for reference
• Common examples of what qualifies at each level

The goal is simple: when a veteran gets a decision letter that says "70% for PTSD," they should be able to come here and understand what that rating actually represents, without having to parse legal text.

We're starting with the most common conditions first: PTSD, tinnitus, sleep apnea, back conditions, knee and joint issues, migraines, and hearing loss. More will follow.

If you have feedback on which conditions you'd like to see covered first, use the feedback form on the calculator page to let us know.