Many IT job seekers from China list certifications like "CET-4" (College English Test Band 4) or "NCRE" (National Computer Rank Examination) expecting US recruiters to understand their value. In reality, most US hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) have never heard of these names. If your resume says "CET-4 Certificate" without context, it can be ignored or even filtered out as irrelevant.
ATS software scans for keywords that match the job description. Generic foreign exam titles rarely match any US requirement. Even if a human reads it, they may assume the credential is not equivalent to US standards. The fix is simple: translate the certification into the skill it represents.
CET-4 is a Chinese English proficiency exam roughly equivalent to an intermediate-high level. Instead of listing "CET-4 Certificate," describe what you can do with that English level.
Before:
After:
If you have a score, include it: "CET-4 (Score: 550) — equivalent to TOEFL iBT ~80-90." But only use equivalencies if they are well-known; otherwise stick to skill statements.
NCRE (National Computer Rank Examination) has levels and subjects (e.g., NCRE Level 2 C Programming). In the US, the closest parallel is a college course or a vendor certification like CompTIA IT Fundamentals. Never just list "NCRE Level 2".
Before:
After:
If the exam covered specific software (e.g., MS Office), use the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) naming: "Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) — skills equivalent to MOS certification."
Always check the job description for keywords. If the job asks for "TCP/IP knowledge," use that phrase. If it asks for "Java programming," convert your NCRE Java exam into "Java programming skills."
ATS software treats punctuation and case inconsistently. Avoid all-caps exam names (CET-4) in your bullet points. Instead, write them naturally: "cet-4" or omit the name entirely. ATS typically ignores certification titles it does not recognize — so removing them entirely and replacing with skill statements is safest.
Group them into a single bullet under a "Skills" or "Certifications" section: "English proficiency at B2 level (CET-4) and professional C programming skills (NCRE Level 2)." Avoid repeating separate lines for each.
Only if the job explicitly asks for it or if you are applying to Chinese-American companies. For US-only roles, focus on the skill description. If you include it, put it in parentheses after the skill statement.
Yes, positively. ATS looks for skill keywords, not exam names. By converting to skills terms like "SQL," "Python," or "network security," you increase your match rate. The original Chinese names rarely match any requirement.
Describe the knowledge area and difficulty level. For example, "data structures and algorithms — covered at the level of a typical US university sophomore course." Honesty is key; do not claim a certification you do not have.
Ready to transform your Chinese certifications into US resume assets? Use our free checker to see how well your current resume translates.
Converting a Chinese resume for US applications? Try PrismResume's Chinese-to-English resume tool.
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