How CVory’s ATS score works

The nine ATS checks

1. 1

   Contact info complete

   We confirm your name, email, and phone number are all present. Applicant tracking systems index these fields first; a resume missing a parseable phone or email can be dropped before a human ever sees it.

2. 2

   Has a professional summary

   We check for a summary of at least ~20 words. A short, role-tailored summary front-loads the keywords an ATS scans for and gives a recruiter an instant snapshot in the six seconds they spend on a first pass.

3. 3

   At least one role with bullets

   Work-experience bullets carry the most ATS weight, so we verify you have at least one role with real bullet points rather than an empty or paragraph-only history.

4. 4

   Strong action verbs on bullets

   We measure how many bullets start with a strong action verb (Led, Built, Reduced, Increased, Delivered…). Passing requires at least half of your bullets to open with one. Verb-led bullets read as achievements, not duties.

5. 5

   Quantified achievements

   We scan bullets for numbers — percentages, dollar amounts, multipliers, counts, time saved. Passing requires roughly a third of your bullets to be quantified. “Grew revenue 34%” beats “grew revenue” for both the parser and the hiring manager.

6. 6

   No weak phrasing

   We flag filler like “responsible for,” “duties included,” “worked on,” and “helped with.” These phrases describe duties instead of outcomes and dilute the keywords that matter.

7. 7

   Skills section present

   We confirm you have a populated skills section. ATS keyword matching leans heavily on this block, and recruiters often filter candidates by specific skills, so a clearly labelled list is essential.

8. 8

   Education listed

   We check that an education section exists. Most applicant tracking systems expect one — even a brief entry — and some screens filter on degree or field.

9. 9

   ATS-safe single-column layout

   We verify your chosen template is single-column. Multi-column “designer” layouts can be read out of order by older parsers, jumbling your content. Picking a designer template fails this check and lowers your score — by design, so the trade-off is never hidden.

The scoring formula

Your score = (checks passed ÷ 9) × 100, rounded to the nearest whole number. Every check is weighted equally, so each one you fix is worth about 11 points. We deliberately keep the formula simple and transparent rather than hiding it behind an opaque “AI score,” because you should be able to see exactly why your resume scores what it does and what to change next.

Keyword-gap analysis

Beyond the structural score, CVory compares your resume against a specific job description. It pulls out the terms that recur in the posting, checks which ones appear in your resume, and reports a match percentage plus the missing keywords. Because real applicant tracking systems rank candidates partly on keyword overlap with the job, closing genuine gaps — only with terms that truly apply to you — is one of the highest-leverage edits you can make before applying.

Frequently asked questions

How is the ATS score calculated?

Your score is the number of checks you pass divided by the total number of checks, expressed out of 100. Each check is weighted equally, so improving any single failing check raises your score by the same amount. The score updates live as you edit.

What is keyword-gap analysis?

When you paste a job description, CVory extracts the terms that appear repeatedly in it, then compares them against your resume. It shows your match percentage, the keywords you already cover, and the important terms you're missing — so you can add the ones that genuinely apply before you submit.

Does a perfect ATS score guarantee an interview?

No. A strong score means your resume is structurally sound and machine-readable, which clears the automated filter. Getting the interview still depends on relevance, real achievements, and tailoring to the specific role — which is exactly what the score is designed to free you up to focus on.