Condition & Symptom Organizer

How VA rates disabilities

VA assigns a rating of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% to each service-connected condition. The percentage reflects how much the condition impairs your ability to work and function in daily life. Higher ratings mean higher monthly compensation. Each condition is rated separately using a document called the Rating Schedule (38 CFR Part 4).

The three factors that drive your rating

• Frequency — How often do symptoms occur? Daily symptoms are rated higher than occasional ones.
• Severity — How intense are symptoms when they occur? Severe, debilitating episodes drive higher ratings.
• Duration — How long do episodes last? Prolonged symptoms that last hours or days indicate a higher rating than brief ones.

How to organize each condition

List every condition you're claiming as a separate item. For each one, document the diagnosis, your three worst symptoms, how each symptom affects your work, and how each symptom affects daily life. VA rates each condition individually — a well-organized presentation helps raters apply the correct diagnostic code.

How combined ratings work (and why 70% + 60% doesn't equal 130%)

VA uses "whole person math" to combine ratings. If you're rated 70% for one condition, VA considers you 30% "whole." A second 60% rating applies to the remaining 30%, adding 18% — bringing you to 88%, which rounds up to 90%. This is why having multiple conditions rarely reaches 100% through combination alone. Total and Permanent disability (100% P&T) or Individual Unemployability (TDIU) are alternative paths to 100% compensation.

Tips for documenting symptoms accurately

• Keep a symptom journal for 2–4 weeks before your C&P exam. Note dates, symptom type, severity (1–10 scale), and what you couldn't do that day.
• Describe both your worst days and your average days — both matter to raters.
• Don't minimize. VA raters are trained to watch for underreporting. Be honest and thorough.
• Mention secondary conditions — a condition caused or worsened by a primary service-connected condition can be rated separately.
• If a condition affects your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to work, say so explicitly in your statement.