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Free ATS Score Checker

Find out how an applicant tracking system reads your CV or resume — and get a clear 0–100 ATS score with the fixes that move it up.

Your ATS score in about 60 seconds

Upload your CV or resume as PDF or DOCX. We parse it the way an ATS does, score it, and show what is holding it back.

Check my ATS score free
  • Works for CVs and resumes
  • 0–100 score with reasons
  • Prioritised list of fixes

How the ATS score checker works

1. Upload your file

PDF or DOCX, any layout. Nothing is sent to employers.

2. We parse it like an ATS

We extract sections, dates, job titles, skills and contact details the way tracking software does, and flag anything that fails to read.

3. Get your score and fixes

A 0–100 ATS score broken down by category, plus the specific changes that raise it the most.

What your ATS score measures

An ATS score estimates how well software can read and rank your application. It is not one number pulled from thin air — it combines several checks recruiters' systems depend on.

Parseability

Can the system extract your text? Tables, columns, text boxes, headers and images often break parsing.

Section structure

Standard headings — Experience, Education, Skills — so the ATS files each part in the right field.

Keywords and skills

Whether the hard skills and job titles recruiters search for actually appear in your file.

Dates and titles

Consistent date formats and clear job titles so your experience is counted correctly.

Contact details

Email, phone and location in plain text where the ATS expects them.

Impact and clarity

Achievement-focused bullet points that also read well once a human opens the file.

Who should check their ATS score

Applying online at scale

Most large employers screen through an ATS. If you apply through job boards or career sites, your file is read by software first.

Getting no replies

Plenty of applications and little response is a common sign your CV is not being read or ranked correctly.

Using a designed template

Two-column and graphic templates look great but often lose content when an ATS converts them to text.

ATS-unfriendly vs. ATS-friendly: an example

The same skills section, formatted two ways. Only one is reliably read by tracking software.

Hard for an ATS to read

Skills shown as icons and progress bars inside a right-hand column: ★★★★☆ Excel · ★★★☆☆ SQL · ●●●○○ Leadership

Easy for an ATS to read

Skills: Excel (advanced, pivot tables, Power Query), SQL, Tableau, stakeholder reporting, team leadership (5 reports)

Illustrative example.

What is a good ATS score?

On CV Scoring, 80–100 means your file is strong: it parses cleanly and covers the core keywords for your field. 60–79 is fixable — usually a few formatting or keyword gaps. Below 60 means the system is likely missing important parts of your experience.

Different tools use different formulas, so an ATS score is best used to compare versions of your own CV. Fix the top issues, re-check, and watch the score move.

ATS score for a CV vs. a resume

In the UK, Europe and many other countries the document is called a CV; in the US and Canada it is a resume. Applicant tracking systems treat both the same way: they convert the file to text and pull it into fields. The checker works for either, and the advice — simple layout, standard headings, relevant keywords — applies to both.

How to improve your ATS score quickly

Start with parsing: move everything into a single column, remove text boxes and tables, and put contact details in the body rather than the header. Then rename headings to standard ones. Finally, compare your skills with a job listing you want and add the relevant terms you genuinely have. These three steps fix most low scores.

Common reasons for a low ATS score

  1. 1. Multi-column layouts

    Columns can be read out of order, mixing job titles, dates and skills together.

  2. 2. Contact info in the header

    Many systems skip page headers and footers, so your email may never be captured.

  3. 3. Creative section names

    “My Journey” instead of “Experience” can leave a whole section unclassified.

  4. 4. Missing keywords

    If the skills in the listing are not in your file, you will not show up in recruiter searches.

ATS score checker FAQ

Is the ATS score checker free?

Yes. Create a free account and upload your CV or resume to get your ATS score and main issues.

What is an ATS score?

An estimate of how well applicant tracking software can read your file and match it to jobs, based on parsing, structure, keywords and contact details.

What is a good ATS score?

80 or above is strong, 60–79 is fixable, and below 60 means important information is probably being missed.

Does it work for a CV as well as a resume?

Yes. The checker reads both the same way an ATS does.

Which file format is best for ATS?

A simple, text-based PDF or DOCX. Avoid scanned images, which contain no readable text.

Can I check my score against a specific job?

Yes — use the job match score to compare your CV with a listing and see which keywords are missing.

See how software sees your CV

Get your ATS score and the fixes that matter before your next application.

Check my ATS score free
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