Pass mark (cut-off score)

A pass mark draws a line through a ranked list of candidates. Above it, someone reviews the candidate. Below it, the candidate is set aside. It’s a way of deciding once, up front, how much evidence you need before spending more time on someone.

Why set one

Without a line, every screened candidate needs a human decision, which defeats much of the point of screening. With one, reviewers focus on the people most likely to be a fit, and the decision rule is written down instead of living in someone’s head.

How to set it

There’s no universally right number. A reasonable approach:

1. Start lower than feels comfortable. Early on, it’s better to review too many than to miss good people.
2. Review a sample below the line. After your first batch, read or watch some candidates just under the pass mark.
3. Adjust. If strong candidates keep turning up below the line, lower it. If reviewers keep rejecting people just above it, raise it.
4. Revisit when the role or the interview changes. New questions or new skills mean the old number may not fit.

A worked example

Assume 200 completed interviews and a pass mark of 65. You pull 20 candidates who scored between 55 and 64 and read their evidence. Five of them look worth a conversation. That suggests the line is too high for this interview, so you lower it to 58 and check the next batch the same way.

What a pass mark shouldn’t be

• Precise. A 64 and a 66 are not meaningfully different. Treat scores near the line with care.
• A rejection trigger. Being below the line should mean “set aside,” not “send a rejection email automatically.”
• Permanent. Anyone set aside should be easy to bring back.

Fairness checks

Where you lawfully collect demographic data, compare pass rates across groups. A large gap is a signal to look at your questions and skills. See adverse impact.

In LessRounds

Candidates at or above the pass mark go to review. Those below it are set aside, never emailed about the outcome, and can be moved back at any time. With no pass mark, scores of 50 and above go to review and the rest are set aside. The pass mark guide goes deeper.