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Tinnitus: C&P Exam Prep

Ringing, buzzing, hissing or other sounds in your ears or head that aren't coming from outside.

This prep guide was generated with AI, so please also check the VA rating criteria (38 CFR Part 4) and the VA exam form (DBQ) for this condition.

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Quick Must-Know

There's no test that measures tinnitus. The examiner relies on what you describe, so be clear and specific.
Say when the sounds started, and what noise you were around in service.
Tinnitus counts even if it comes and goes, as long as it keeps coming back.
Be honest about noise since service, at work or from hobbies.

Be accurate and complete

Describe your condition as it really is: on your worst days as well as on the day of the exam. Don't make it sound better than it is, and don't make it sound worse. The examiner writes down what you say, and VA compares it with your records.

The exam form

The examiner uses VA's "Hearing Loss and Tinnitus" form. VA keeps this form for its own examiners and doesn't publish it, so this page describes the exam from VA's rules and its public information.

What the exam is for

The exam helps VA decide whether you have tinnitus and whether it's connected to your service. VA usually checks tinnitus and hearing loss at the same appointment.

Who does it

A licensed audiologist (a hearing specialist) does the exam. It's usually in a sound booth. VA keeps its hearing and tinnitus exam form for its own examiners, so it isn't published. What follows comes from VA's rules for hearing exams (38 CFR 4.85) and VA's public information.

What the examiner will ask and measure

When the sounds started, and what was going on in service at the time, such as weapons fire, engines, aircraft, explosions or other loud noise.
Whether the sounds are in one ear, both ears or your head.
Whether they're there all the time or come and go, and how often.
Noise you've been around since service, at work or at home.
A hearing test, done without hearing aids. It has two parts: tones at different pitches (puretone audiometry) and a list of words you repeat back (the Maryland CNC test).

There's no machine that measures tinnitus. The examiner relies on what you describe, so your description matters.

Be ready to describe

When you first noticed the sounds, and what you were doing in service then.
What they sound like: ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring or something else.
How often you hear them, and whether they're there all the time.
How they affect you: sleep, concentration, conversations, work.
The loud noise you were around in service, and what hearing protection you had, if any.
Noise since service, at work or from hobbies. Be honest about it.

Common mistakes

Saying the sounds started "a while ago" when you can say when they started. If you remember noticing them in service, say so.
Forgetting to mention sounds that come and go. Tinnitus doesn't have to be constant to count.
Not mentioning noise in service because it "was just part of the job."
Treating the hearing test as a contest. Respond when you hear a tone, and don't guess.

How VA rates it

VA rates recurring tinnitus at one level. Hearing loss is rated separately, on its own test results. VA proposed changing how it rates tinnitus in February 2022 (87 FR 8474). As of October 2026 that change isn't final, so the current rule still applies.

In plain English

10%: Ringing or other sounds in your ears or head that keep coming back (recurrent tinnitus). This is the only level.
You get one rating, whether you hear it in one ear, both ears or your head.
Hearing loss and other ear conditions can be rated separately, unless the tinnitus is already counted as part of them.
Tinnitus that other people can hear too, with a cause a doctor can find (objective tinnitus), is rated as part of the condition causing it.

The regulation, word for word

Quoted from 38 CFR Part 4 (current as of October 16, 2026). This is what VA applies. The plain-English version above is our summary of it.

38 CFR 4.87, diagnostic code 6260: Tinnitus, recurrent Open in the Rating Criteria Lookup

Criteria	Rating
6260 Tinnitus, recurrent	10
Note (1): A separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation under diagnostic codes 6100, 6200, 6204, or other diagnostic code, except when tinnitus supports an evaluation under one of those diagnostic codes.
Note (2): Assign only a single evaluation for recurrent tinnitus, whether the sound is perceived in one ear, both ears, or in the head.
Note (3): Do not evaluate objective tinnitus (in which the sound is audible to other people and has a definable cause that may or may not be pathologic) under this diagnostic code, but evaluate it as part of any underlying condition causing it.

About every C&P exam

What is it?

After you file a claim, VA may ask you to have a claim exam, also called a compensation and pension (C&P) exam. It helps VA decide whether your condition is connected to your service, and how severe it is. It isn't treatment: the examiner won't treat you, prescribe medicine or refer you to anyone.

Who does it?

A VA provider or a provider from one of VA's exam contractors (Loyal Source, OptumServe, QTC or VES). VA picks; you can't choose. Hearing, mental health, eye and dental exams are done by specialists. For a reproductive, breast, rectal or mental health exam, or a claim related to military sexual trauma, you can ask for a male or female examiner.

How long does it take?

VA says anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more, depending on what you claimed. Some exams are by phone or video. If you claimed more than one condition, VA tries to schedule them on the same day.

Does the examiner decide my claim?

No. The examiner writes a report on a standard form (a Disability Benefits Questionnaire, or DBQ) and sends it to VA. VA decides your claim using all the evidence: the report, your medical and service records, and statements from you and others. The examiner can't tell you the results or answer questions about your claim.

Does everyone get one?

No. If your records already have what VA needs, VA can decide from the records alone (VA calls this Acceptable Clinical Evidence, or ACE).

What if I can't make it?

Call the number on your appointment letter at least 48 hours ahead to reschedule. Missing an exam delays your claim. VA may decide your claim on the evidence it already has, and some claims, such as a claim for an increase, are denied (38 CFR 3.655). If you had a good reason, such as being in the hospital or a death in your family, tell VA and ask for a new exam.

What should I bring?

VA says you don't need to bring anything. Send any new medical records to VA before the exam, because the examiner can't send them in for you. Arrive 15 minutes early and wear clothes you can move in. Many veterans find it helps to bring a short list of their symptoms, medicines and side effects, and key dates, so nothing is forgotten.

Can someone come with me?

You can ask the examiner. They may ask family members or caregivers to wait outside. For a sensitive physical exam, you can ask for a chaperone in the room.

Can I get a copy of the report?

Yes. Ask VA with a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request (VA Form 20-10206). VetEZ Claim can help you fill it out and send it.

Can my own doctor fill out the form instead?

For many conditions, yes. VA publishes the exam forms (DBQs) your own doctor can fill out and you can send in. VA doesn't pay for this. A few exam forms are for VA's own examiners.

Checked against VA's forms and rules on October 16, 2026. General information only, not medical or legal advice about your claim. VA decides every claim.

File with VetEZ Claim

VetEZ Claim is free, from VetClaims Alliance, a nonprofit. Start with an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966), then file your claim (VA Form 21-526EZ). You review, sign and send each form yourself.

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