Table of Contents
Every time you submit a resume through an online job portal, an ATS assigns it a score. This score determines whether your resume gets forwarded to a recruiter or quietly disappears into a digital void. Understanding what constitutes a good ATS score, how scoring works, and how to improve yours is critical for any active job seeker.
How ATS Scoring Works
ATS platforms typically score resumes on a percentage scale from 0 to 100. The score reflects how closely your resume matches the specific job description. The algorithm evaluates keyword matches between your resume and the job posting, skills alignment, experience level appropriateness, education and certification requirements, and formatting quality and parseability. Each ATS platform uses its own proprietary algorithm, but the core principles are consistent across systems.
What Score Do You Need?
- 90-100 percent: Excellent match. Your resume will almost certainly reach a human reviewer
- 80-89 percent: Strong match. High probability of passing ATS filters at most companies
- 70-79 percent: Good match. May pass some filters but could be borderline at competitive companies
- 60-69 percent: Fair match. Likely to be filtered out at companies with strict ATS thresholds
- Below 60 percent: Weak match. Your resume needs significant optimization for this role
Factors That Affect Your ATS Score
- Keyword match rate: The percentage of required skills and qualifications found in your resume
- Keyword placement: Skills mentioned in section headers and summary carry more weight
- Experience relevance: How closely your job titles and descriptions match the posted role
- Education match: Whether your degree level and field meet the stated requirements
- Formatting compliance: Whether the ATS can successfully parse all sections of your resume
- Recency: More recent and relevant experience typically scores higher
How to Check Your ATS Score for Free
ResumeGyani offers a free ATS Score Checker that analyzes your resume against any job description. Simply upload your resume, paste the job description, and get an instant score with detailed feedback on what to improve. The tool shows you which keywords are missing, which sections need work, and gives you specific recommendations for boosting your score.
How to Improve a Low ATS Score
- Add missing keywords from the job description to your skills section and work experience
- Match your job titles more closely to the posted position title
- Use standard section headings that ATS systems recognize
- Remove formatting elements like tables, text boxes, and graphics
- Spell out acronyms and include abbreviations for maximum keyword coverage
- Customize your professional summary for each application
Check your ATS score before every application submission. A 10-minute optimization session using ResumeGyani's ATS Score Checker can dramatically increase your chances of getting past the digital gatekeeper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 70 percent ATS score good enough?
A 70 percent score is borderline. For competitive positions at large companies, aim for 80 percent or higher. For roles with fewer applicants, 70 percent may be sufficient. Always try to maximize your score before submitting.
Does every job application go through ATS?
Most online applications go through ATS, but direct emails to hiring managers, referrals, and applications to very small companies may bypass ATS. When in doubt, optimize your resume for ATS regardless.
Related Guides
Put This Guide Into Action
Use ResumeGyani's free tools to create your resume, check your ATS score, and land more interviews.
ResumeGyani Team
The ResumeGyani editorial team consists of certified resume writers, career coaches, and HR professionals with decades of combined experience helping job seekers land their dream roles. Every guide is researched, fact-checked, and updated regularly to reflect current hiring trends.