Free ATS score for your CV

Paste a job ad and your CV to see how well they match and which keywords are missing, with no account and no card.

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PDF, Word, image or text, max 12 MB

.docx recommended. PDF works too, but is read less accurately.

Min 100 characters (0/100)

Paste the ad text or URL. Minimum 100 characters.

Min 100 characters

What is an ATS score?

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It is mainly a database and workflow tool: it takes in applications, parses your CV into fields, and lets recruiters search, filter and rank the pile. The filters are set up by the recruiter, not by an algorithm acting on its own. An ATS score is an estimate of how well your CV matches one specific job ad, on the ad's own vocabulary and on substance. A low score rarely means a robot binned you. It usually means you would sit below other candidates for that particular ad, and that is something you can fix.

How the 3-in-1 score works

Most tools give you a single keyword percentage and stop there. careerify works out three numbers. Keyword ATS is the share of the ad's keywords that appear in your CV, counted word by word. Semantic ATS goes through the ad's requirements and duties one at a time, and a requirement only counts as met when a quote from your CV backs it up. So you can have worded something differently from the ad and still meet the requirement, as long as it is in your CV. The AI screener runs the same check on what a recruiter weighs most, with the job title first. A low keyword number with a high semantic number means you have the experience but not the ad's words. The reverse means the words are there and the substance is not.

How to improve your score

Mirror the ad's language: if the ad says "FP&A", write "FP&A", not "financial planning", searches match exact strings. Make outcomes concrete: replace "was responsible for" with a measurable result, which lifts both the semantic layer and how a human recruiter reads you. Tailor your CV per application: a master CV that fits every job fits none. careerify tailors the CV to the exact ad you paste in, without inventing anything you have not done.

How an ATS actually parses your CV

An ATS starts by converting your document into plain text. Then it reads top to bottom, left to right, and tries to map the text into fields: name, contact details, work history, dates, titles and skills. What breaks parsing is multi-column layouts, tables, graphics, logos and text placed in headers or footers, that content often lands in the wrong field or disappears entirely. This is why a single-column .docx with real, selectable text almost always beats a beautifully designed or scanned PDF. Use standard section headings like "Work experience" and "Education" so the system finds the right section.

careerify vs Jobscan, Teal and ChatGPT

Reflects typical free-tier capabilities as of 2026. Features vary by plan, check each tool for the latest.
CapabilitycareerifyJobscanTealChatGPT
Keyword ATS scoreYesYesYesPartial
Semantic relevance beyond exact wordsYesPartialPartialYes
AI-screener read like a recruiterYesNoNoPartial
Tailors and rewrites the CV to the adYesNoPartialYes
Flags fabrication, never invents experienceYesNoNoNo
Score without an accountYesPartialNoYes
Free to startYesYesYesYes

Yes Partial No

Reflects typical free-tier capabilities as of 2026. Features vary by plan, check each tool for the latest.

What we learned building careerify on the founder’s own CV

careerify was first tested on the founder's own CV. The same experience, the same roles, the same facts, scored low against some ads and high against others. The difference was not what the CV contained, but what it led with. Reframed from a broad generalist headline to a tighter specialist one, the exact same background scored well for a different, tighter set of roles. Nothing was invented, nothing was removed. That is the whole point of the positioning analysis: your profile ranks differently depending on which job you aim it at.

careerify is the honest CV tool: it tailors your CV to the job and shows the keywords you are missing, but never invents experience you do not have.

See how the positioning analysis works →

Related reading

Frequently asked questions about ATS scores

Do I need an account to get an ATS score?

No. The ATS score, the keyword analysis and a preview of a cover letter are free without signup. You need an account for the full tailored CV and for personal cover letters. A ready-written follow-up is included during the trial and on the paid plans.

How is careerify's score different from Jobscan's?

Jobscan and similar tools mainly give a keyword-match percentage. careerify works out three numbers: the share of the ad's keywords that appear in your CV, how many of the requirements and duties are backed by a quote from your CV, and the same check on what a recruiter weighs most. So you can see whether the issue is missing vocabulary from the ad or a positioning problem.

What does "without inventing things" mean?

Some tools encourage adding keywords you do not actually cover. It may lift the keyword number but it lowers you with a human recruiter and can destroy your credibility in the interview. careerify flags keywords you are missing, but it never suggests writing in something you have not done.

Which file formats are supported?

PDF, Word, image or text, up to 12 MB. You can also paste the CV text directly. A scanned CV or a photo of it is read too.

Is my CV saved?

Yes. The anonymous run keeps the CV text and the ad text for up to 30 days, then deletes them automatically. If you create an account within 60 minutes, in the same browser, the result comes with you into the account without uploading again. The text is never used to train models. If you want it removed sooner, email support@careerify.ai. When you create an account, your CV and approved facts are stored in your personal knowledge bank, which you can delete at any time (GDPR).

What ATS do Nordic employers use?

Common ones in the Nordics are Teamtailor, Workday, SmartRecruiters, Varbi and ReachMee. They differ in interface, but the parsing rules are the same: plain text, a simple layout and standard headings read best, whatever the system.

What is a good ATS score?

There is no universal pass mark, different systems and recruiters set different thresholds. What matters is mirroring the ad’s must-have keywords. careerify’s three scores show whether it is a keyword gap or a positioning problem, so you know what to actually fix.

Does a low score mean automatic rejection?

Usually not. The software does not normally reject you on a match score by itself. What does knock candidates out automatically is the employer’s own screening questions, things like work permit, certification or notice period, which are set up to filter. Beyond that, a low score mostly means you sit below other candidates in the recruiter’s ranked list, so fewer eyes reach you.

.docx or .pdf, which parses better?

.docx is the most reliable for text extraction. A text-based PDF is usually fine. Avoid scanned PDFs or PDFs that are images, where the ATS may fail to read the text at all.