What is a Good Resume Score? Complete Guide 2026

Wondering what is a good resume score? You're not alone. With resume scoring tools becoming increasingly popular, understanding how your resume measures up is crucial for job search success. This guide explains resume scoring, what makes a strong resume, and how to improve your score.

How Resume Scoring Works

Resume scoring tools evaluate your resume across multiple categories to provide an overall score. Our resume score calculator analyzes five key areas:

What is a Good Resume Score?

What Makes a Strong Resume?

1. Clear, Quantifiable Achievements

Strong resumes include specific, measurable results. Instead of "Improved sales," write "Increased sales by 35% in Q3 2025." Numbers and metrics make your achievements concrete and impressive.

2. Relevant Keywords

Use our job description analyzer to extract keywords from job postings, then naturally incorporate them throughout your resume. This improves both ATS compatibility and human recruiter appeal.

3. Professional Formatting

Clean, consistent formatting that's both ATS-friendly and visually appealing. Use standard fonts, clear section headings, and simple bullet points. Test with our ATS checker to ensure compatibility.

4. Tailored Content

Customize your resume for each job application. Highlight relevant experience and skills that match the job description. Generic resumes score lower than tailored ones.

5. Strong Professional Summary

A compelling summary at the top of your resume that highlights your key qualifications and value proposition. Keep it concise (2-3 sentences) and impactful.

How to Improve Your Resume Score

Step 1: Get Your Current Score

Use our free resume score calculator to get your baseline score and see which areas need improvement.

Step 2: Address Weak Areas

Focus on improving the lowest-scoring categories first:

• Low ATS score? Use our ATS checker to fix formatting and structure issues.
• Low keyword score? Extract keywords with our job analyzer and optimize with our keyword extractor.
• Low content score? Add quantifiable achievements and specific results.
• Low formatting score? Simplify layout and ensure consistency.

Step 3: Re-test and Iterate

After making improvements, test your resume again to see your new score. Continue iterating until you reach 80+ (Grade B or higher).

What is a Good ATS Score?

ATS scores specifically measure how well your resume can be parsed by Applicant Tracking Systems. A good ATS score is typically 75 or above. To improve your ATS score:

• Use standard file formats (PDF or DOCX)
• Include clear section headings
• Avoid tables, images, and complex formatting
• Include relevant keywords naturally
• Use standard fonts and simple layouts

Test your ATS compatibility with our free ATS checker.

Next Steps

Ready to improve your resume score? Use our free tools:

1. Get your resume score and detailed feedback
2. Check ATS compatibility and fix any issues
3. Extract keywords and optimize your resume
4. Analyze job descriptions to tailor your resume