Planner · 38 CFR 4.25 / 4.26
Path to 100: What It Takes to Reach a 100 Percent Combined Rating
This is the combined-rating calculator run backward. Enter the ratings you hold now, and it shows exactly what the 38 CFR 4.25 math says would move your combined rating up: the smallest new rating that reaches 100, what an increase to something you already have would do, and the honest answer when the schedule alone will not get you there.
By Mario Bailey, U.S. Air Force veteran · current Air National Guard member. Data updated 2026-07-11.
The rounding fact most veterans miss. Under 38 CFR §4.25(a) the combined value is rounded to the nearest 10, so a raw combined value of 95 or higher rounds up to 100. If your raw value is 94, you are one point away from a 100 percent rating, not ten. This tool shows your raw value and the gap.
Simple addition says 100%. The regulation says 70%. Under 38 CFR §4.25 each new rating applies only to the efficiency you have left, so every rating you add bites a smaller slice: 30% took 15 points of the 50 that remained, 20% took just 7 of the 35 left. A raw combined value of 72 rounds down to 70%. See how combined ratings work.
Your combined rating now
( before rounding)
Step-by-step math
Road 1: add one new service-connected rating
What a single new rating of each size would do to your combined rating. The row that first reaches each band is marked; the smallest one that rounds you to 100 is highlighted.
| Add a new rating of | Combined becomes | Raw | What that means |
|---|
Limitation. This projection treats the new rating as unpaired. If your new condition affects a limb that pairs with one you already hold, the §4.26 bilateral factor would make the real combined value a little higher than shown here. The increase table below does model bilateral pairs correctly.
Road 2: increase a rating you already hold
One or two steps up on each existing rating. Watch for the diminishing-returns lines: a bump can raise your raw value and still leave the rounded combined rating exactly where it was.
SOURCE: 38 CFR §§ 4.25–4.26 via eCFR · retrieved 2026-07-11 · combined ratings table current as of 2026-07-10
How not to use this planner.
This is not a menu of conditions to go claim. It shows what the combined-ratings math requires so you can tell which road is realistic: an increase on a condition that genuinely got worse, a new service-connected condition you actually have, or TDIU when work is no longer possible.
Every claim has to be for a real, current disability that is connected to your service. Do not reverse-engineer a diagnosis to hit a number. It is fraud, and it does not survive a C&P exam. A free VA-accredited representative or VSO can help you file the claims that are legitimately yours.
How this planner works
Under 38 CFR §4.25, ratings are combined from most to least severe, and each new rating applies only to the efficiency you have left. A 50 percent rating leaves you 50 percent efficient; a second 30 percent rating takes 30 percent of the remaining 50, that is 15 more points, for a raw combined value of 65, which rounds to 70 percent. This tool runs that same regulation for every scenario it shows, using the exact table arithmetic, and then applies the §4.25(a) rounding rule at the end.
Because the final value rounds to the nearest 10, the real target for a 100 percent rating is a raw combined value of 95, not 100. The planner reports your current raw value and how many points of raw combined value separate you from 95.
The §4.26 bilateral factor applies when both arms or both legs are affected: those ratings combine first, gain 10 percent of their combined value, and the result is treated as a single disability. The increase table models this correctly for the ratings you already hold. It cannot model it for a hypothetical new rating, because whether a future condition pairs bilaterally depends on the body part, so Road 1 states that limitation plainly rather than guessing.
When nothing short of a 90 or 100 percent new rating would reach 100, and no increase to what you already hold gets there either, the planner says so and points you to the two roads that are not on the schedule: TDIU (check your eligibility, or read the TDIU guide), and permanent and total status on top of any total rating. See the combined ratings guide for the long-form walkthrough.
Frequently asked questions
What rating do I need to get to 100 percent?
There is no single number, it depends on what you already hold. Under 38 CFR 4.25 ratings are combined, not added, and the combined value is rounded to the nearest 10. A raw combined value of 95 or higher rounds up to 100. This planner shows the smallest new rating, or the increase to an existing rating, that would push your raw combined to 95.
Does a 90 plus a 10 equal 100?
No. Under 38 CFR 4.25 a 90 combined with a 10 is 90 plus 10 percent of the remaining 10, a raw value of 91, which rounds to 90. Ratings never add. That is why a small new rating on top of a high combined value often does nothing.
If I cannot reach 100 on the schedule, what are my options?
The honest roads are TDIU, which pays at the 100 percent rate when service-connected conditions keep you from substantially gainful work, and permanent and total status, which attaches to any total rating you already hold. Neither is a condition you claim. The planner tells you when the schedular math will not get you there so you can consider these instead.
Is it worth filing to increase a condition I already have?
Sometimes not. Because ratings combine, an increase to one of your lower ratings can raise your raw combined value yet leave the rounded combined rating unchanged. Check the increase table on this page before you file an increase claim.
Next steps
- Just want the total, not the path? Use the combined rating calculator.
- See what 100 percent pays, with dependents, on the disability pay chart.
- Cannot work because of your conditions? Check the TDIU eligibility calculator or read the TDIU guide.
- Understand the difference between schedular 100, TDIU, and P&T in the roads to 100 percent.
- Check the rating criteria for a specific condition straight from the CFR.