Public methodology. Version 1.0
The evidence-first standard behind Qalam ATS scores.
Qalam's free ATS Resume Checker evaluates a resume across eight job-relevant factors: parsing, role alignment, six-second recruiter readability, achievement evidence, career progression, skills credibility, clarity, and professional hygiene. It preserves candidate truth and does not claim to reproduce an employer's private ATS score.
Eight weighted decision factors
The overall score is a weighted diagnostic. Low evidence cannot be hidden by keyword density or decorative formatting.
ATS parsing
15% weight
Whether headings, chronology, contact details, and text structure can be interpreted reliably.
Role alignment
20% weight
How directly verified experience matches the target role, seniority, domain, responsibilities, and tools.
Six-second recruiter read
15% weight
How quickly a recruiter can identify professional identity, recent scope, value proposition, and strongest proof.
Achievement evidence
15% weight
Whether claims show action, context, scale, outcome, and credible evidence instead of duties alone.
Career progression
10% weight
Whether chronology shows expanding scope, promotions, deliberate transitions, and understandable tenure patterns.
Skills credibility
10% weight
Whether listed skills are supported by recent work, projects, qualifications, or other supplied evidence.
Clarity
10% weight
Whether language is concise, specific, consistent, action-led, and easy to scan.
Professional hygiene
5% weight
Whether dates, links, education, certifications, and formatting are complete and internally consistent.
Truth rules
- Candidate facts stay separate from AI wording.
- Unsupported keywords are labelled, not inserted.
- Protected characteristics are excluded from evaluation.
- Gaps are not penalized without supplied context.
- Every rewrite must remain traceable to resume evidence.
Known limits
- Employer ATS configurations are private and differ.
- Knockout questions may sit outside the resume.
- A high score cannot guarantee an interview.
- Role alignment is provisional without a job description.
- Human hiring judgment remains contextual.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Qalam ATS readiness score mean?
It is an independent diagnostic of resume readability, job relevance, evidence quality, and recruiter screening risk. It is not a score from an employer's private ATS.
Can any resume guarantee a 100 percent ATS pass rate?
No. Employers use different systems, configurations, knockout questions, and hiring criteria. Qalam reduces avoidable parsing and evidence risks without claiming a universal pass guarantee.
Do I need a job description?
No. Qalam can assess general market readiness. A target job description is required for exact role alignment and keyword-evidence analysis.
Does Qalam invent keywords or achievements?
No. A keyword is treated as supported only when the resume contains credible evidence for it. Unsupported claims are flagged instead of inserted as facts.
Is the ATS Resume Checker free?
Yes. The public checker requires no account. After sign-in, the Free plan includes one full ATS-safe resume generation per calendar month.