Claim Raven explanation
What this means
Hearing loss meets VA's disability definition if a threshold is at least 40 decibels at a listed frequency, at least three listed thresholds are 26 decibels or more, or Maryland CNC speech recognition is below 94 percent.
This definition is different from the rating percentage. A hearing disability under this rule still needs a connection to service, and the rating itself uses the separate hearing tables and examination requirements in Part 4.
How this helps your claim
Compare the actual audiogram values with the definition before focusing on the percentage. Check the speech-test name, because a score from a different speech test does not automatically satisfy the Maryland CNC provision.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Review thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz for each ear.
- Confirm whether speech recognition used the Maryland CNC test.
- Separate the current-disability finding, service-connection finding, and percentage calculation in the decision.
Separate the disability threshold from the rating tables
An audiogram can answer whether hearing impairment meets VA's disability definition without establishing the percentage payable. The threshold criteria here and the rating method in Part 4 are related but different steps. A qualifying hearing disability can still receive a noncompensable evaluation.
Keep the pure-tone results, speech-recognition result and test identification together. A hearing-screen summary may omit the values needed to apply the rule. Also preserve the separate evidence about service and noise history, because a current qualifying test does not itself establish the relationship to service.
Does a zero-percent hearing rating mean VA found normal hearing?
Not necessarily. Service connection and a noncompensable evaluation can coexist. The evaluation reflects application of the rating criteria, not a statement that the person has no difficulty hearing. Read the service-connection finding and percentage explanation separately to understand what VA decided.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 3.385
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 3.385 Disability due to impaired hearing.
For the purposes of applying the laws administered by VA, impaired hearing will be considered to be a disability when the auditory threshold in any of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 Hertz is 40 decibels or greater; or when the auditory thresholds for at least three of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hertz are 26 decibels or greater; or when speech recognition scores using the Maryland CNC Test are less than 94 percent.
[59 FR 60560, Nov. 25, 1994]
Related references
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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