VA Combined Rating Math Explained

Why Ratings Do Not Simply Add Up

If you have more than one rated condition, VA does not add the percentages. It uses what it calls the whole person theory: a person cannot be more than 100 percent able-bodied, so the total can never pass 100.

How VA Does It

1. List your ratings from highest to lowest.
2. Combine the two highest first.
3. Combine that result with the next rating, and repeat.
4. Round the final number to the nearest 10. Values ending in 1 to 4 round down and 5 to 9 round up.

VA.gov gives one example: 50% and 30% combine to 65, which rounds to 70%.

The Math Behind the Table

Each new rating applies to the ability you have left. With 50% and 30%: you start at 100, the 50% leaves 50 remaining, and the 30% takes 30 percent of that 50, which is 15. So 50 + 15 = 65, rounded to 70.

Examples

These are worked with the same method. VA also publishes a combined ratings table, and its official figure for your claim is what counts, so use this as a guide, not a guarantee.

Why This Matters

A new 10% or 20% rating adds less than you might expect when you already have a high combined rating, but it can still be what tips the total into the next rounding bracket. Knowing the math helps you spot which conditions are worth pursuing, and lets you check a decision letter yourself.