> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://nova.dweet.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Understanding Scores
> How to read Nova scores and assessments, rank candidates, and diagnose scoring issues.
Nova scores each candidate from 1-10 for one role at a time. A high score means the available evidence appears strongly aligned with the criteria for that role.
The score is not a percentage, a count of passed criteria, or a hiring decision. It is a screening assessment based on the role, criteria, evidence quality, and remaining uncertainty. For how Nova produces it, see [Scoring Methodology](/nova/features/scoring-methodology).
## Score Scale
| Score | How to read it |
| ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **10** | Exceptional evidence alignment. Clear evidence across the role's core needs, plus unusually strong signals. |
| **9** | Outstanding evidence alignment. Strong evidence for the core requirements and few meaningful concerns. |
| **8** | Strong evidence alignment. Resume-verifiable essentials are supported by evidence. Any remaining gaps are minor or better checked in interview. |
| **7** | Promising evidence alignment. Relevant and useful to review, but there is real uncertainty about at least one important requirement. |
| **6** | Mixed evidence alignment. Some useful evidence, but important gaps or weaker alignment. |
| **5** | Borderline evidence alignment. Possible relevance, but the evidence is thin. |
| **3-4** | Weak evidence alignment. Significant gaps, contradicted requirements, or limited evidence for the role. |
| **1-2** | Very limited evidence alignment. Very little relevant evidence for the role. |
## The 7 Vs 8 Line
Most score calibration questions come from the difference between 7 and 8.
An **8** means the main resume-verifiable requirements are evidenced. The candidate may still need normal interview checks, but Nova found enough evidence to support the core screening case.
A **7** means the candidate is interesting, but something important is still uncertain from the resume or application. That could be a missing skill signal, unclear seniority, thin domain evidence, or an application answer that does not fully resolve a requirement.
Interview-only unknowns should not automatically keep a strong candidate below 8. Resume-level uncertainty about an important requirement usually should.
## What Affects The Score
* **Criteria text**: Nova scores against the criteria you configure. Vague criteria create vague scoring.
* **Importance level**: Must have, Preferred, and Nice to have requirements affect the score differently.
* **Evidence quality**: Direct evidence is stronger than an indirect proxy. Equivalent experience can count when the criterion allows it.
* **Role seniority**: A senior role needs stronger evidence than an entry-level role.
* **Application answers**: Answers can confirm requirements that are not visible on a resume, such as work authorization or shift availability.
* **Explicit exclusions**: Clear deal-breakers are treated as strong screening rules when the evidence verifies the excluded fact.
Nova does not compare candidates to historical hires. It assesses the available evidence against the current role and criteria.
## Evidence Status
When Nova shows criteria analysis, each criterion can be marked:
| Status | Meaning |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Pass** | The evidence supports the requirement. Equivalent experience can count when it reasonably satisfies the criterion. |
| **Partial** | The evidence is related, thin, indirect, or missing enough detail to be confident. |
| **Fail** | The evidence contradicts the requirement or verifies an exclusion. |
Missing information is usually marked `Partial`. A `Fail` needs clear evidence to the contrary: a resume that does not mention a requirement creates uncertainty, while a resume that clearly shows the opposite creates a concern.
## How Must Have Criteria Work
Must have criteria matter more than Preferred or Nice to have criteria, but they are not automatic score caps.
Nova assesses whether the available evidence supports continued review. A candidate with one absent Must have signal may still score around 7 or 8 if the missing detail is plausible to verify. A candidate who clearly contradicts a Must have requirement usually scores much lower.
Use Must have only for requirements that are genuinely necessary for the role, such as:
* Legal or regulatory eligibility.
* The experience that makes someone viable for the role, such as production backend experience for a backend engineer or current registration for a nurse.
* A practical requirement the job cannot work without.
* A deal-breaker you have explicitly confirmed.
Use Preferred for strong differentiators. Use Nice to have for bonus signals.
## What The Assessment Tells You
* **Verdict**: A short screening summary to orient your review.
* **Strengths**: The strongest evidence Nova found.
* **Concerns**: Missing, thin, or contradicted evidence.
* **Interview Focus**: The questions to verify next.
When available, the Nova dashboard also shows per-criterion analysis with `Pass`, `Partial`, or `Fail` status. Treat that breakdown as the evidence trail. The overall score reflects the full profile, beyond a simple count of passed criteria.
Talent Search uses a shorter review: a summary for every scored candidate, plus strengths and concerns for candidates scored 7 or higher.
Concern labels usually mean:
* **not evidenced**: Nova did not find evidence for the requirement.
* **contradicted by**: Nova found evidence pointing the other way.
* **unverified**: The point should be checked with the candidate or hiring team.
## Ranking And Filtering
For inbound applicants, Nova posts the score and assessment back to your ATS so your team can sort, filter, and review candidates consistently.
For AI Talent Search, Nova groups sourced candidates into review bands:
* **8-10**: Best Fit.
* **7**: Strong Fit.
* **5-6**: Consider.
* **1-4**: Not a Fit.
For Talent Pool Search, Nova uses broader review bands:
* **9-10**: Highest-priority matches.
* **7-8**: Strong candidates worth review.
* **5-6**: Consider.
* **1-4**: Unlikely or Not a Fit.
Ranking is a review order. It helps your team decide what to review first, but it should not replace human review.
## When A Score Feels Wrong
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Most candidates score 9-10 | Criteria are too loose or too generic. | Add role-specific requirements and make the key differentiators explicit. |
| Almost no candidates score above 5 | Criteria are too strict or too many items are marked Must have. | Move secondary requirements to Preferred or Nice to have. |
| A candidate you expected to review scored low | Their resume may not show the evidence your criteria ask for. | Check the concerns, then decide whether to edit the criterion or verify the point in interview. |
| Similar candidates score differently | Criteria may be vague or depend on details one resume includes and another omits. | Rewrite the criterion around observable evidence. |
| Everyone clusters around 5-7 | The criteria may describe broad relevance instead of clear differentiators. | Add the requirements that separate acceptable from strong candidates. |
| Tool names drive too much of the score | The criterion may be too vendor-specific. | Reframe around the capability unless that exact tool is required. |
After editing criteria, future candidates use the updated criteria. If reprocessing is enabled for your workspace, a Nova admin can use **Reprocess Applications** from the job actions menu to update existing scores.
## Common Scoring Skip Reasons
Most skips are document or profile access issues:
| Reason | What happened |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **No usable profile** | No resume and no usable fallback profile were available. |
| **Encrypted PDF** | The resume is password-protected. |
| **Corrupted file** | The file is damaged or unreadable. |
| **Unsupported format** | The file format cannot be processed. |
| **File too large** | The file exceeds the supported size limit. |
| **Download failed** | Nova could not retrieve the document from your ATS. |
Skipped candidates are not charged. Attach a valid resume, then reprocess the application. Other processing or configuration issues can also prevent scoring; contact support if the reason is unclear.
## Good Review Workflow
1. Read the verdict first.
2. Check the strengths and concerns.
3. Open criteria analysis when available.
4. Decide whether the concern is real, missing from the resume, or better checked in interview.
5. Edit criteria only when the pattern repeats across candidates.
Do not use the score alone to make or change an employment decision. Review the underlying evidence before taking action. For adverse-impact checks, see [Bias Testing Methodology](/nova/legal/bias-testing).
No. Nova supports screening by summarizing evidence against your criteria. Recruiters and hiring teams make employment decisions after reviewing the evidence and context.
There is no separate numeric weighting setup. Use Must have, Preferred, and Nice to have to show importance.
Read the concerns and criteria analysis first. The usual causes are missing resume evidence, a criterion that is too strict, or a requirement marked Must have when it should be Preferred.
Absence is uncertainty. Nova treats a missing detail differently from evidence that proves the candidate does not meet the requirement.
The passed criteria may be lower importance, generic, or offset by a serious concern. The score reflects overall evidence alignment.
Yes. Changes apply to future scores. If reprocessing is enabled for your workspace, a Nova admin can use **Reprocess Applications** from the job actions menu to update existing scores.
Yes. Enable **Exclude application question answers from scoring** in Company Settings if you want resume-only scoring.
Nova can use a LinkedIn profile URL as a fallback when enabled. If no usable evidence is available, the candidate is skipped and not charged.
How Nova produces a score
Write criteria that produce useful scores
How Nova checks for adverse-impact signals