Ratings & pay
VA math explained: why your ratings don’t add up
VA combines ratings against your remaining efficiency, rather than adding the percentages. That is why two 50% ratings produce an 80% combined rating.
How the calculation works
VA puts individual ratings in order from highest to lowest, then combines them using its combined ratings table. A 50% rating leaves 50% remaining efficiency. A second 50% rating applies to that remaining half: 25 percentage points. The combined value is 75%, which rounds to an 80% combined rating.
With more conditions, VA continues combining before rounding the final result to the nearest 10%. Values ending in 5 round up. Rounding to the nearest 10% after each condition can produce an incorrect answer.
A three-rating example
For ratings of 50%, 30%, and 10%, the first two combine to 65. The combined ratings table then combines 65 with 10 to reach 69. Only then is the result rounded to 70%.
50% + 30% + 10% → combined value 69% → final rating 70%.
Intermediate table values are whole numbers. Keeping unlimited decimal places through every step is not the same procedure as using the VA table.
Why your individual ratings matter
An overall rating of 80% does not tell you the exact combined value behind it. Two veterans with the same rounded rating can get different results when another condition is added. Enter the individual ratings from your decision letter in the calculator. Do not enter your overall combined rating as an additional disability.
When the basic math is not the whole answer
Qualifying disabilities of paired limbs may involve the bilateral factor. Some conditions have special rating rules or cannot be rated separately for the same symptoms. The calculator combines percentages you supply; it does not decide whether VA can award each separate rating.
TDIU and special monthly compensation can also change payment without following the ordinary combined-rating payment alone. Compare the calculation with your actual award letter and ask an accredited representative about discrepancies.
Two veterans can have the same rating but different starting points
Consider two hypothetical records with no bilateral factor. Alex has individual ratings of 60%, 40%, and 20%. These combine to 81, which rounds to 80%. Morgan has 70% and 40%, which combine to 82 and also round to 80%.
Add a hypothetical new 10% rating to each record. Alex’s 81 combines with 10 to make 83; Morgan’s 82 combines with 10 to make 84. Both still round to 80%. The additional rating changes the underlying combined value even though the final payment category stays the same.
This is why “I am at 80%; what will another 10% do?” cannot be answered accurately from the rounded 80 alone. Gather every individual percentage, including the left or right location of any qualifying limb rating, before comparing scenarios.
Worked examples you can reproduce
| Individual ratings | Table combinations | Final rating |
|---|---|---|
| 40% and 20% | 52 | 50% |
| 50%, 30%, and 10% | 65, then 69 | 70% |
| 60%, 40%, and 20% | 76, then 81 | 80% |
| 90% and 40% | 94 | 90% |
| 90% and 50% | 95 | 100% |
The last two rows illustrate the rounding boundary; they are not advice to seek a particular percentage. Each individual evaluation requires its own supporting facts. See the official combined ratings table for the underlying values.
Check your inputs before questioning the result
- Use individual percentages from the same current award period. Do not mix an old evaluation and its replacement.
- Enter each rating once. Your overall combined rating is a result, not another condition.
- Choose body locations only where appropriate. The bilateral-factor guide explains paired limbs.
- Open “See how your rating is calculated” and compare the steps.
- Check payment separately: dependents and special benefits can change dollars without changing this combined percentage.
Our calculator’s optional condition label is just a reminder for you. Typing “ringing in ears” instead of “tinnitus” does not change the math or establish a diagnosis. Use the calculator to explore numbers, and take award-specific questions to accredited help.
Official sources
Sources checked September 20, 2026. General education; no individual claim assessment. How we prepare and check content.