ATS CV Checker
Test how applicant tracking systems read your CV. Upload it, paste the job advert, and see how you score on skills, experience, keywords and impact. Free, no sign-up, CV never stored.
Job description (for keyword matching)
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Test your CV against applicant tracking systems
From Workday and Taleo at FTSE 100 companies to Oleeo on Civil Service Jobs and TRAC on NHS Jobs, nearly every large UK employer routes applications through an applicant tracking system. Before your CV reaches a hiring manager, it's parsed into a database, and recruiters search that database using terms from their own job advert.
This ATS CV checker replicates that journey. It parses your CV the way the software does, checks the extraction for errors, and scores your content against the specific advert you're applying to, so you can see whether you'd survive the keyword searches recruiters actually run.
You get a 0–100 compatibility score broken down by parsing, keyword coverage, relevance, and structure, plus AI rewrite suggestions for the bullets that are underselling you. Fix the issues, re-check, and apply with evidence instead of guesswork.
It's free to check your CV three times a day, with no account, no credit card, and nothing stored: your document is analysed in memory and discarded. The analysis goes beyond counting words, too — a two-stage AI pipeline reads your CV for meaning, so you learn not only which terms are missing but where your real experience is being undersold by the way it's written.
What the checker looks at
Parse simulation
Extracts your contact details, job titles, dates, and skills the way ATS software does, and flags anything that comes out wrong or missing.
Keyword search coverage
Compares your CV against the job advert's requirements and lists the exact terms a recruiter's ATS search would find missing.
Semantic match
AI reads your experience for meaning, catching cases where you have the skill but describe it in words the search won't match.
Format & structure
Section headings, tables, columns, graphics, and file-format issues known to break ATS parsing.
How atspass.com compares
| Feature | atspass.com | Typical paid checkers |
|---|---|---|
| Free checks | 3 per day | 0–1 trial |
| Sign-up required | ||
| CV stored on servers | ||
| Scores against a specific job advert | Sometimes | |
| AI rewrite suggestions | Paid tier | |
| Pricing | £1.50 per check | £25–40 per month |
Frequently asked questions
Which ATS platforms do UK employers use?
Large UK employers commonly use Workday, Oracle Taleo, SAP SuccessFactors, iCIMS, and Greenhouse; the public sector runs its own systems, including NHS Jobs (TRAC) and Civil Service Jobs (Oleeo). They differ in interface but share the same fundamentals: they parse your CV into structured fields and let recruiters search and filter by keyword, which is exactly what this checker tests.
How do I know if my CV is ATS-friendly?
Run it through the checker above. A CV is ATS-friendly when the software can extract your name, contact details, job titles, dates, and skills without errors, and when it contains the terms recruiters will search for. The checker scores both and lists exactly what to fix.
Do UK employers really reject CVs by ATS?
Mostly it's not an automatic rejection; it's invisibility. Few systems auto-reject on score alone, but recruiters facing hundreds of applicants search and filter by keyword. If your CV is missing the terms from the advert, or parsed badly, you're never in the shortlist a human actually reads.
Is a PDF CV safe for ATS in the UK?
Usually yes. Modern systems parse text-based PDFs well. Problems come from CVs exported as images, multi-column layouts, tables, and graphics. If you use our checker, parsing issues like these are flagged in the format category of your score.
How is this different from the free CV review services?
Human CV review services critique style and are usually a sales funnel for paid rewriting. This is an automated technical test of how tracking software reads your CV, scored against the actual job advert you're targeting: objective, instant, and free for 3 checks a day with no sign-up.
How do I check my CV for free?
Upload your CV (PDF or DOCX) and paste the job description you're applying for. You get an ATS compatibility score out of 100, a breakdown across parsing, keywords, structure, and relevance, and specific suggestions to improve. You get 3 free checks per day with no account required.
Is my CV kept after the check?
No. Your CV is analysed in memory and never stored. There's no account and no document history, so your CV stays yours.
Should I check my CV against every job I apply for?
Yes. This is the single highest-impact habit in a modern job search. Recruiters search their ATS using terms from their own job advert, so a CV tailored to one posting can be invisible for another. Checking against each specific job description shows you exactly which terms to add before you apply.
Does this work for UK CVs and international applications?
Yes. The checker handles UK CV conventions (no photo, no date of birth, 2-page format) as well as US-style resumes. It scores your document against whatever job description you paste, so it works for UK, US, and international applications alike.
Keep reading
- What is an ATS? The complete guide to applicant tracking systems
- UK public sector ATS: NHS Jobs and Civil Service applications
- The ATS-friendly CV format: a complete guide
- Why ATS checkers give different scores for the same CV
- Why your CV gets rejected before anyone reads it
- How to tailor your CV to every application (quickly)
- PDF vs Word: which CV format do ATS prefer?
- ATS keywords by job title (150+ roles)
- Free ATS CV templates for Word and Google Docs
Stop guessing why you’re not getting interviews. Start free. No signup, no card.
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