MakeCVBetter gives you an ATS readiness estimate based on the CV content we can read. It is our own rubric, not a universal industry score, an employer pass threshold, or a probability of getting an interview. Applicant tracking systems differ, and job matching requires the particular job's criteria.
Running a report
For an existing file, open Tools → ATS Score and upload a PDF or Word CV up to 10 MB. Everyone gets one upload check per day, enforced against both the IP address and browser device. Unreadable files do not use the check. Your file is not saved; the private report is available for 24 hours. Our PDF reader assesses up to 12 pages.
To keep improving, sign in and create your own CV in the builder. Its ATS check is separate from the public daily upload allowance. Every plan gets a numeric readiness estimate; full reports add a category breakdown and an optional job-description input.
What contributes to the number
Our current rubric, version 7, uses:
- Contact details: 20%. A readable name, basic email syntax and a plausible phone number.
- Section recognition: 30%. Contact content and at least one populated background section.
- Record completeness: 50%. Usable details in the background you actually provide.
For work, volunteering, research and leadership, we check role, organization, dates and contribution bullets. For education we check qualification and institution. For projects we check name and contribution. For certifications we check name and issuer. An empty section does not earn credit. Formal employment, a degree and a summary are not universal requirements.
These weights are our product choices. They have not been calibrated against proprietary ATS rankings. An upload result reflects what our parser recovered; extraction mistakes can affect the result. A builder check examines structured content and does not prove that its exported layout will parse in every system. We do not award automatic formatting points.
Writing advice is separate
Length, English action-verb coverage and measurable-result coverage do not change the readiness total. They are editing suggestions, not documented universal ATS rejection rules. Our length guideline is an editorial prompt; academic and specialist CVs can be longer. Use numbers only when they are real and useful. Qualitative achievements are valid too.
Job-description coverage
A full builder report can show literal coverage of selected job-description terms. It uses case-insensitive token matches and does not evaluate all synonyms, required qualifications or semantic fit. This coverage has no weight in the readiness total. No job-specific result is calculated without a job description.
Reading the colors
Red is 0–29, orange 30–59, amber 60–79 and green 80–100. These are our display groups, not an employer's screening cutoffs. Each category shows whether it contributes to the total. Reports made under earlier rules remain historical snapshots; re-scan in the builder to use the current rules.
Sources and limits
Greenhouse's parsing documentation explains document and layout risks, including a 2.5 MB parsing limit. Our 10 MB upload limit does not guarantee that an employer accepts a file of that size.
Lever describes parsing as field extraction. Oracle describes job-specific candidate matching across profile, skills, experience and education. Jobscan's tutorial separates word count and measurable results from its match rate. These sources inform our approach; they do not certify our formula.