How we score a CV

The seven categories

• Contact details: up to 10 points.
• Core sections: up to 20 points.
• Useful length: up to 20 points.
• Achievement language: up to 15 points.
• Evidence and results: up to 15 points.
• Scannable structure: up to 10 points.
• Target keywords: up to 10 points.

Contact detection looks for email and phone patterns. The section check looks for experience, education, skills and summary. Length is scored from the extracted word count. Action verbs, numerical details and bullet markers each contribute points up to a cap. Keywords are matched against up to 20 terms extracted from the supplied job description.

The ATS checker page gives the exact thresholds, limitations and supported files. Rules primarily recognise English wording. They can miss synonyms, misinterpret dates as evidence or fail to recover the intended reading order from a complex file.

How to interpret the result

Missing points identify a prompt to investigate. They are not proof of a problem with your career, qualifications or writing. Review contact details and required sections first, then improve relevant evidence and wording. Never invent a result or add hidden keywords to make the number rise.

We cannot see an employer’s screening configuration, applicant pool or hiring decisions. A high score does not guarantee an interview. The score does not certify a template or replace a human review of the downloaded PDF.