How the ATS Score Works

What Resume Weapon actually checks

Resume Weapon's ATS score evaluates your resume across nine factors that real applicant tracking systems use: text parsing, formatting compatibility, section headings, keyword match, job-title alignment, skills match, file type, date formatting, and table/column structure. Here's exactly what each one means and how it affects your score.

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The 9 Things We Check

FactorWhat it means
ParsingWhether your text extracts cleanly. Image-based PDFs and scanned documents fail here.
FormattingSingle-column vs multi-column. Two-column layouts get jumbled by ATS parsers.
Section headingsStandard headers (Experience, Education, Skills) vs creative ones the ATS can't categorize.
Keyword matchHow many terms from the job posting appear in your resume.
Job-title matchWhether your titles align with the role you're targeting.
Skills matchHard and soft skills compared against the posting's requirements.
File typeWhether your format (.docx, PDF) is ATS-compatible.
DatesConsistent, parseable date formats in your work history.
Tables & columnsStructural elements that break parsing and hide content from the ATS.

How Scoring Works

When you upload your resume, we extract the text exactly as an ATS would. If you paste a job posting, we compare your resume against that specific role's keywords and requirements — this gives the most accurate score. Without a posting, we score against general ATS formatting and structure best practices.

The result is a 0-100 compatibility score. Above 80 means you'll pass most ATS filters. Below 70 means you're likely being auto-rejected. You also see which specific keywords are missing and which formatting issues need fixing.

What Happens After Your Score

Beyond the score, our AI can generate a fully optimized version of your resume — properly formatted, with the right keywords woven in naturally, in your choice of Classic, Modern, or Executive style. The preview is free. A clean, watermark-free download is $2.99.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the ATS score check?
Parsing, formatting, section headings, keyword match, job-title match, skills match, file type, date formatting, and tables/columns — the same factors real ATS platforms evaluate.
How accurate is the ATS score?
It mirrors how real ATS evaluate resumes. Paste a specific job posting and the score reflects your match against that exact role — the most accurate measure of whether you'll pass.
Does Resume Weapon store my resume?
Parsing happens in your browser. We don't sell your data, don't train AI on your resume, and don't share it with third parties. See our Privacy Policy.
What file types are supported?
PDF, Word (.docx), or pasted text. We flag image-based PDFs that contain no extractable text.