Check Your CV Free and See What the Screening Software Sees
Upload your CV and the job advert. In about a minute you get a score out of 100, the fixes that matter most and the keywords you’re missing. No card needed.
Free CV check, no card needed • CV rewriter free for 3 days, then £11.99/month, cancel any time
You get about seven seconds to make a first impression
In an eye-tracking study, recruiters spent an average of 7.4 seconds on their first look at a CV before deciding whether to read on. A clear, results-led CV that matches the job makes those seconds count, and our CV checker shows you exactly what to change.
Source: Ladders Eye-Tracking Study, 2018.
seconds
The average first look at a CV before a recruiter decides whether to keep reading.
Why good candidates get filtered out before anyone reads their CV
Many employers and recruitment agencies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort applications. If the software can’t read your CV, or can’t match it to the job, a recruiter may never see it.
A layout the software can't read
Two columns, tables, text boxes and skills shown as icons look smart to people but often come out scrambled, or blank, in an ATS.
Missing the words in the job advert
If the advert asks for CRM experience, a full driving licence or stakeholder management and your CV doesn't say so, you can drop down the list.
Duties instead of results
"Responsible for customer service" tells an employer very little. Sales made, problems solved or time saved is what gets interviews.
Every application has two gates to get through
First the screening software reads your CV and compares it with the job. Then a person gives it a quick scan. A CV that is hard to read or doesn’t match the advert can be stopped at either gate.
1. You apply
Your CV goes into the employer's system along with everyone else's.
2. Software reads it
It checks your layout and matches you to the advert. Columns, tables and missing keywords can stop you here.
3. A recruiter scans it
About seven seconds to spot job titles, results and the skills they asked for.
4. You get the interview
A CV that is readable, results-led and matched to the job gets through both gates.
Same person, same experience. The only thing that changes is how the CV presents it.
Same experience. A far stronger CV.
Most CVs undersell the person behind them. Check yours free to see what’s holding it back, or let us rewrite it for you: free for 3 days, then £11.99/month until you cancel.
Before
- Two columns the screening software scrambles
- Lists duties, with no results or numbers
- Missing keywords from the job advert
- Photo and date of birth UK employers don't need
After
- A clean single column every system can read
- Results with real numbers from your experience
- Keywords matched to the job you want
- Only what UK employers want to see
What our CV checker looks at
Every CV gets a score out of 100 and a breakdown across five areas, so you know exactly where you’re losing marks.
Readable by screening software
Columns, tables, headers and graphics that could stop an ATS reading your details.
Keyword match
Paste the job advert and we list the skills and qualifications you're missing.
Shows results, not just duties
Whether your bullet points prove what you achieved, with an example of how to word it.
Layout and structure
Order, length and the sections UK employers expect to see.
Clear and concise
Waffle, jargon and repetition that make a recruiter skim past you.
How the CV check works
Upload your CV
PDF or Word, up to 5 MB, plus your email so we can send you the report. The CV check is free.
Add the job
Paste the job title and advert. It gives a much sharper keyword check.
Get your score, then let us fix it
Your score and fixes appear in about a minute. Want it done for you? Start the CV rewriter, answer a few quick questions and we email you the new CV.
Check it free, or let us rewrite it for you
Use the free CV checker to fix your CV yourself, or let the CV rewriter do it for you for every job you apply for.
CV check
For anyone who wants to know what’s holding their CV back and fix it themselves.
- ATS score out of 100 with five sub-scores
- The fixes that matter most, in order
- Curriculum vitae hints & tips, with a worked example
- Missing keywords from the job advert
- Report you can save as a PDF
CV rewriter
Then £11.99/month, renews automatically until you cancel. Cancel online at any time. We email you before your trial ends.
1 rewrite a day during your free trial, then up to 20 rewrites a month.
- Everything in the CV check
- AI Job Matcher: your CV scored against 150,000+ live UK jobs
- Quick questions to draw out your real results
- A complete rewrite, built only from your facts
- A score check on the new version
- 1 rewrite a day during your trial, then up to 20 a month
- Emailed to you as Word or PDF
Start with a free CV check. If you want it done for you, the CV rewriter is free for 3 days, with 1 rewrite a day, then £11.99/month for up to 20 rewrites a month. We email you a reminder before your trial ends, you can cancel online at any time, and you pay nothing if you cancel during the trial. One free trial per person.
Start your free CV check
You're signed in to the CV rewriter
Check your CV free
No card needed. You get a score out of 100, the fixes that matter most and the keywords you're missing.
We'll email your report to you. See our privacy notice.
Or let us rewrite it for you, free for 3 days
- Your whole CV rewritten for the job you want
- A new tailored version for every application: 1 a day during your trial, then up to 20 a month
- Re-scored, then emailed to you as Word or PDF
You need a free Bernoullis account to start your trial. It takes a minute, and your account shows your rewrites left and lets you cancel online.
Reading your CV
This usually takes 30 to 60 seconds. Keep this page open.
A CV checker for every job and every stage
Each review is judged against the job title and advert you give us, so the CV checker looks for what matters for that job, not a one-size-fits-all checklist.
School leavers and graduates
Turning education, part-time work and projects into evidence employers want.
Career changers
Showing how the skills you already have carry over to a new field.
Returning to work
Handling gaps honestly and leading with what you can offer now.
Office and admin
Software, organisation, accuracy and the systems you have used.
Sales, retail and service
Targets, results, customer feedback and the volume you handled.
Health, care and education
Registrations, checks such as DBS, and the people you have supported.
Trades, driving and warehouse
Licences, cards and certificates, safety record and equipment.
Tech, finance and engineering
Tools, qualifications, projects and measurable outcomes.
Applying for something else? Add your job title and the advert and the review adapts to it.
CV tips that work for any job
Whether you use our CV checker or not, these are the changes that make the biggest difference to job applications in the UK.
For general advice on CV sections, the government’s National Careers Service guide to writing a CV is a good starting point.
Want to know how our checker works behind the scenes? Read our guide to the new CV checker.
Put a number on your results
Employers want to know what changed because of you: sales made, customers served, money saved, time cut. “Responsible for handling complaints” becomes “Resolved around 40 complaints a week and cut repeat complaints by a third.”
Use the words in the job advert
An ATS compares your CV with the advert. If it says “stakeholder management” and you say “working with other teams”, the match may be missed. Use its wording for skills you genuinely have.
Put must-have qualifications near the top
Driving licence, CSCS card, DBS check, degree or professional membership: put the ones the job needs near the top in plain text.
Keep the layout simple
One column, standard headings and a common font. Keep contact details in the body of the page, not the header, and never send a scanned image.
Two pages, most recent first
Two pages suits most jobs, and school leavers can usually fit on one. Leave out a photo, date of birth and “references available on request”.
Tailor it for each application
A sales CV for a software company should read differently from one for a car dealership. That is exactly what the keyword check in our CV checker helps with.
CV checker questions
What is a CV checker?
It’s a tool that reviews your CV against what employers and their applicant tracking systems look for. Ours gives you a score out of 100, explains where you’re losing marks, gives you hints and tips with an example and, if you add a job advert, shows which keywords you’re missing.
Is the CV check really free?
Yes. No card and no account. You get your score, the fixes that matter most and the keywords you're missing, and we email you a copy.
How does the free trial work?
The CV rewriter is free for 3 days, and you can have 1 rewrite a day during the trial. You add a card when you start, and nothing is taken during the trial. When the trial ends, your subscription starts at £11.99 a month unless you cancel, and you can have up to 20 rewrites a month. We email you the day before. One free trial per person.
How do I cancel?
Open the CV rewriter link in any of our emails and choose Manage subscription. You can cancel there online at any time. If you cancel during the free trial, you pay nothing.
What is an ATS and why does it matter?
An applicant tracking system is software employers and agencies use to collect, sort and search applications. If it can’t read your layout, or doesn’t find the right skills, your CV can be ranked low before anyone looks at it.
How long does it take?
A CV check usually takes 30 to 60 seconds. A rewrite takes a few minutes in total: you answer a few short questions, then the new CV is written, scored and emailed to you.
Will the rewrite make things up?
No. The new CV is built from your original CV and your answers to our questions, plus duties that are a standard part of jobs you have done (each one is listed in your email so you can remove any that do not apply). If a figure isn't known, the point is written without one.
Do you keep my CV?
For a free CV check, your CV is deleted as soon as the report is ready. For a rewrite, your original CV is held securely for up to 24 hours while you answer the questions, then deleted. A copy of the finished CV is sent to our team. Our privacy notice explains exactly what we keep and for how long.
Should I choose Word or PDF?
Word is best if you want to edit the CV later or an employer asks for a .docx file. PDF keeps the layout fixed. Both are single-column and readable by screening software.
Does it work for my job or industry?
Yes. The CV checker works for any job in any industry, from first jobs and apprenticeships to senior roles. Add the job title and advert and your CV is judged against that job.
Your next job starts with a CV that gets read
Find out what’s holding your CV back in about a minute, free. Or let us rewrite it for you: free for 3 days, then £11.99/month, cancel any time.