VA math calculator
VA doesn't add your ratings together. Enter each rating and see how VA combines them, step by step, with the bilateral factor.
- The formula in 38 CFR 4.25, tested against every value in VA's combined ratings table.
- The bilateral factor for both arms or both legs, from 38 CFR 4.26.
- Every step shown, so you can check it against your decision letter.
How VA math works
VA starts from a whole, healthy person: 100% "efficient". Your highest rating takes its share first. Each next rating takes its share of what is left, not of the whole.
Take 50% and 30%. After the 50%, half of you is left. 30% of that half is 15, so the two combine to 65. VA then rounds to the nearest 10, and 65 rounds up to 70%.
| 1. Order | Put the ratings in order, highest first. |
|---|---|
| 2. Combine | Combine the first two with VA's combined ratings table. Combine that result with the next rating, and so on. |
| 3. Round once | Only at the end, round to the nearest 10. A value ending in 5 rounds up: 65 becomes 70, 64 becomes 60. |
| Bilateral factor | When both arms or both legs have ratings of 10% or more, those ratings are combined first and 10% of that value is added. The result counts as one rating. |
The bilateral factor, with VA's own example
This is the example in 38 CFR 4.26: ratings of 60%, 20%, 10% and 10%, where the two 10% ratings are for the left and right leg.
| Combine the two legs: 10 and 10 | 19 |
|---|---|
| Add 10% of 19 (1.9), not combined | 20.9, rounded to 21 |
| Order of severity | 60, 21, 20 |
| 60 combined with 21 | 68 |
| 68 combined with 20 | 74 |
| Rounded to the nearest 10 | 70% |
Which conditions count
"Arms" and "legs" mean the whole limb: an arm includes the forearm and hand, a leg includes the thigh and foot. A right thigh and a left foot count as both legs (38 CFR 4.26(a)).
Both sides must be rated
The factor applies only when each side has a rating of at least 10%. A 0% rating on one side doesn't count (38 CFR 4.26(c)).
Arms and legs together
If both arms and both legs have ratings, all four limbs are combined in one group before the 10% is added (38 CFR 4.26(b)).
When the factor would lower the result
Since April 2023, if leaving some bilateral ratings out of the factor gives a higher combined rating, VA combines them separately instead (38 CFR 4.26(d)). The calculator checks this for you.
VA's manual rounds a bilateral value to the nearest whole number, with .5 and up rounding up (M21-1, Part V, Subpart iv, Chapter 1, Section C). If one rating covers both legs or both arms, such as flat feet in both feet, the factor applies only together with another rating on an arm or leg, as in the manual's examples. The calculator covers arms and legs. The rule also covers paired skeletal muscles, which the calculator doesn't ask about, and VA's manual says the factor may not apply to some skin conditions.
VA's combined ratings table (38 CFR 4.25)
Find the higher value in the left column and the next rating in the top row. Where they meet is the combined value. Our calculator gives the same answer for every cell.
Show the full table
| Value | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 27 | 35 | 43 | 51 | 60 | 68 | 76 | 84 | 92 |
| 20 | 28 | 36 | 44 | 52 | 60 | 68 | 76 | 84 | 92 |
| 21 | 29 | 37 | 45 | 53 | 61 | 68 | 76 | 84 | 92 |
| 22 | 30 | 38 | 45 | 53 | 61 | 69 | 77 | 84 | 92 |
| 23 | 31 | 38 | 46 | 54 | 62 | 69 | 77 | 85 | 92 |
| 24 | 32 | 39 | 47 | 54 | 62 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 92 |
| 25 | 33 | 40 | 48 | 55 | 63 | 70 | 78 | 85 | 93 |
| 26 | 33 | 41 | 48 | 56 | 63 | 70 | 78 | 85 | 93 |
| 27 | 34 | 42 | 49 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 93 |
| 28 | 35 | 42 | 50 | 57 | 64 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 93 |
| 29 | 36 | 43 | 50 | 57 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 93 |
| 30 | 37 | 44 | 51 | 58 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 93 |
| 31 | 38 | 45 | 52 | 59 | 66 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 93 |
| 32 | 39 | 46 | 52 | 59 | 66 | 73 | 80 | 86 | 93 |
| 33 | 40 | 46 | 53 | 60 | 67 | 73 | 80 | 87 | 93 |
| 34 | 41 | 47 | 54 | 60 | 67 | 74 | 80 | 87 | 93 |
| 35 | 42 | 48 | 55 | 61 | 68 | 74 | 81 | 87 | 94 |
| 36 | 42 | 49 | 55 | 62 | 68 | 74 | 81 | 87 | 94 |
| 37 | 43 | 50 | 56 | 62 | 69 | 75 | 81 | 87 | 94 |
| 38 | 44 | 50 | 57 | 63 | 69 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 94 |
| 39 | 45 | 51 | 57 | 63 | 70 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 94 |
| 40 | 46 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 70 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 94 |
| 41 | 47 | 53 | 59 | 65 | 71 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 94 |
| 42 | 48 | 54 | 59 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 83 | 88 | 94 |
| 43 | 49 | 54 | 60 | 66 | 72 | 77 | 83 | 89 | 94 |
| 44 | 50 | 55 | 61 | 66 | 72 | 78 | 83 | 89 | 94 |
| 45 | 51 | 56 | 62 | 67 | 73 | 78 | 84 | 89 | 95 |
| 46 | 51 | 57 | 62 | 68 | 73 | 78 | 84 | 89 | 95 |
| 47 | 52 | 58 | 63 | 68 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 89 | 95 |
| 48 | 53 | 58 | 64 | 69 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 90 | 95 |
| 49 | 54 | 59 | 64 | 69 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 |
| 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 |
| 51 | 56 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 76 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 |
| 52 | 57 | 62 | 66 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 86 | 90 | 95 |
| 53 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 72 | 77 | 81 | 86 | 91 | 95 |
| 54 | 59 | 63 | 68 | 72 | 77 | 82 | 86 | 91 | 95 |
| 55 | 60 | 64 | 69 | 73 | 78 | 82 | 87 | 91 | 96 |
| 56 | 60 | 65 | 69 | 74 | 78 | 82 | 87 | 91 | 96 |
| 57 | 61 | 66 | 70 | 74 | 79 | 83 | 87 | 91 | 96 |
| 58 | 62 | 66 | 71 | 75 | 79 | 83 | 87 | 92 | 96 |
| 59 | 63 | 67 | 71 | 75 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 |
| 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 |
| 61 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 77 | 81 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 |
| 62 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 77 | 81 | 85 | 89 | 92 | 96 |
| 63 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 78 | 82 | 85 | 89 | 93 | 96 |
| 64 | 68 | 71 | 75 | 78 | 82 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 96 |
| 65 | 69 | 72 | 76 | 79 | 83 | 86 | 90 | 93 | 97 |
| 66 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 80 | 83 | 86 | 90 | 93 | 97 |
| 67 | 70 | 74 | 77 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 97 |
| 68 | 71 | 74 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 90 | 94 | 97 |
| 69 | 72 | 75 | 78 | 81 | 85 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 97 |
| 70 | 73 | 76 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 97 |
| 71 | 74 | 77 | 80 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 97 |
| 72 | 75 | 78 | 80 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 92 | 94 | 97 |
| 73 | 76 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 95 | 97 |
| 74 | 77 | 79 | 82 | 84 | 87 | 90 | 92 | 95 | 97 |
| 75 | 78 | 80 | 83 | 85 | 88 | 90 | 93 | 95 | 98 |
| 76 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 93 | 95 | 98 |
| 77 | 79 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 89 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 98 |
| 78 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 91 | 93 | 96 | 98 |
| 79 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 92 | 94 | 96 | 98 |
| 80 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 94 | 96 | 98 |
| 81 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 91 | 92 | 94 | 96 | 98 |
| 82 | 84 | 86 | 87 | 89 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 96 | 98 |
| 83 | 85 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 98 |
| 84 | 86 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 92 | 94 | 95 | 97 | 98 |
| 85 | 87 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 96 | 97 | 99 |
| 86 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 96 | 97 | 99 |
| 87 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 99 |
| 88 | 89 | 90 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 98 | 99 |
| 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
| 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
| 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
| 92 | 93 | 94 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 98 | 99 |
| 93 | 94 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 99 |
| 94 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 98 | 99 | 99 |
Download the table as a CSV file
To cite this page: Vet Kept, "VA math calculator: combined rating with bilateral factor," https://vetkept.com/va-math-calculator/, updated November 7, 2026. Table from 38 CFR 4.25.
Questions people ask
Why doesn't VA add my ratings together?
VA combines ratings so the total can't go past 100%. Each rating applies to the part of you the earlier ratings left, so 50% and 30% combine to 65, which rounds to 70%, not 80%.
How does VA round the combined rating?
Once, at the very end, to the nearest 10. Values ending in 5 or more round up and values ending in 1 to 4 round down, so 65 becomes 70% and 64 becomes 60%.
What is the bilateral factor?
When both arms or both legs have ratings of 10% or more, VA combines those ratings first and adds 10% of the combined value. That total counts as one rating when VA combines it with your other ratings.
Can two ratings of 50% make 100%?
No. 50% and 50% combine to 75, which rounds to 80%.
Will my result match my VA decision?
It uses the same table and rules. Your decision letter is what counts. If your result differs, check that you entered every rating and marked each arm or leg condition.
Updated November 7, 2026. Sources: 38 CFR 4.25 (combined ratings table); 38 CFR 4.26 (bilateral factor, amended April 2023); M21-1, Part V, Subpart iv, Chapter 1, Section C (applying the bilateral factor and rounding); VA, "About disability ratings". Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.