The Compensation & Pension (C&P) audiology exam you completed is both a medical encounter and a piece of evidence for your disability claim, so the results typically flow into two places. First, because the exam is usually performed by a VA audiologist or a VA-contracted examiner using VA equipment and protocols, the raw findings (pure-tone thresholds, speech recognition scores, and the exam narrative) are generally uploaded into your electronic VA health record, the same system used for your ongoing VA healthcare, so your treating providers can see them. Second, a copy of the same results, along with the examiner's Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ), goes into your claims file and is used by the rating specialist to evaluate your hearing loss and tinnitus claims under 38 CFR 4.85 (hearing loss) and 4.87 (tinnitus).
The three tests you described are standard: the pure-tone audiometry (tones through headphones) measures thresholds at specific frequencies, the speech recognition test (the word list) measures how well you can distinguish words at a comfortable volume, and the test where something is placed on your head rather than in your ears is likely bone-conduction testing, which helps distinguish sensorineural from conductive hearing loss. The combination of pure-tone average and speech discrimination score at each ear is what VA plugs into its rating tables (Table VI and VII in 38 CFR 4.85) to arrive at a percentage.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Does your rating decision hold up under a real audit?
Upload your decision letter and C&P exams — VetAid's analyzer reads the full file, checks every examiner statement word-for-word against your records, and shows which arguments for a higher rating actually hold. Free, and we never take a cut of your back pay.
Analyze my claim free →You do not need to take any additional action to have the results applied to your claim, the examiner submits them directly, and the rating team will factor them in along with your service treatment records and the exposure questionnaire you filled out. You can request a copy of your C&P exam report through your VA claims file, either via the eBenefits/VA.gov portal or by submitting a Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request, once the exam is coded as complete. Results and ratings can vary widely depending on measured thresholds and speech scores, so it's not possible to predict an outcome from a written description of the tests.
Among the appealed VA decisions in VetAid's library, hearing loss cases that reached appeal saw roughly 49% vacated or remanded, 29% affirmed, and 8% reversed or granted outright, though this reflects only cases that were already denied and appealed, not the odds of your initial claim being approved.
As a next step, check your VA.gov claim status page in a few weeks for the exam completion date, then request your C&P exam report directly if you want to see the raw numbers before the formal rating decision arrives.
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