United Kingdom · CV rules
How Long Should a UK CV Be? Pages, Fonts and What to Cut
Two A4 pages is the UK standard. Prospects says a CV should be no longer than two A4 pages, and Edinburgh, Southampton and Newcastle give the same limit. Students and part-time jobs can use one page, finance and retail employers often prefer one, and Prospects says three pages may suit senior roles or very extensive experience. Academic CVs run longer.
Here's the question that keeps people up at night: can I really fit ten years of experience on two pages? If you come from a country where CVs run to four, five or six pages, with every course and every duty listed, a UK two-pager can feel like throwing away half your career.
The good news is that UK careers services are unusually consistent on this. The harder part is deciding what to cut. We'll show you what each source says, where the exceptions are, and how to trim without losing the evidence that gets you shortlisted.
What UK careers services say
| Source | Length guidance |
|---|---|
| Prospects (UK graduate careers service) | No longer than two A4 pages. Part-time student CVs can be shorter, academic CVs slightly longer, and a three-page CV may suit senior roles or extensive experience |
| University of Edinburgh | A two-page CV is standard in the UK, ideally in Arial 12pt |
| University of Dundee | One or two full pages; avoid leaving a half-filled page |
| University of Southampton | No longer than two pages unless an academic CV is required. Finance and banking and part-time retail often prefer one page |
| Newcastle University | One to two pages for both graduate and part-time CVs; no more than two |
| Prospects and Keele employer study | Most of the graduate employers interviewed preferred a maximum of two sides; some wanted one page and others had no strong view |
Notice what's missing: nobody recommends three or four pages for a standard job application. The exceptions are specific, senior or academic.
How long should yours be?
| Where you are | A sensible target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Student or part-time job | 1 page (2 at most) | Prospects says part-time student CVs can be shorter; Newcastle says one to two |
| Recent graduate | 2 pages | The common limit in every source above |
| Finance, banking or retail | 1 page can be preferred | Southampton says these sectors often prefer one page |
| Experienced professional | 2 pages | The standard limit; the Keele report notes experienced applicants may need more room |
| Senior or very extensive career | Up to 3 pages | Prospects says three pages may suit senior roles or extensive experience |
| Academic or research | Longer is accepted | Prospects and Southampton both allow academic CVs to run over |
These targets are our reading of the sources, not an official rule. Always check the job advert or the employer's application guidance first.
Applying from abroad? Plan to cut
CVs from many countries are longer because they include a photo, personal details, every duty of every job and a long list of courses. In the UK, start by deleting the personal items, as explained in our guide on the photo and personal details on a UK CV. That alone can save a third of a page. Then work on the content.
How to cut a CV that's too long
These steps are our suggestions, built on the sources' advice to keep a CV tailored and short.
- Remove what UK CVs don't need: photo, date of birth, nationality, marital status and any "Curriculum Vitae" title.
- Shrink old roles. Give your last two or three jobs the most space and reduce older ones to a line or two.
- Swap duties for achievements. One bullet that shows a result beats five that list tasks.
- Tailor it to the job. Keep what matches the advert and drop the rest, as Prospects advises for your personal statement.
- Keep the layout simple. Dundee recommends a clean layout over complex designs and tables, which may not pass tracking systems. Our guide on how to pass an ATS scan goes deeper.
- Don't shrink the font to cheat. Edinburgh suggests Arial 12pt as ideal. If it only fits at 9pt, it's too long.
Set the right paper size
Prospects talks about A4 pages, which is the standard in the UK. If you built your CV in a program set to US Letter, change the page size to A4 before you judge the length. Page breaks can move when you do.
What if your CV is too short?
Don't panic. Dundee suggests avoiding a half-filled page, so aim to finish the second page at a sensible point rather than padding. If you have a thin work history, add relevant projects, volunteering or coursework, and make sure every section carries evidence. Don't invent experience or inflate your achievements.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a UK CV be?
No longer than two A4 pages, according to Prospects, Edinburgh, Southampton and Newcastle. Students and part-time CVs can be one page.
Is a one-page CV enough in the UK?
Yes in some cases. Southampton says finance and banking and part-time retail employers often prefer one page, and Prospects says part-time student CVs can be shorter.
Can a UK CV be three pages?
Sometimes. Prospects says a three-page CV may suit senior roles or candidates with extensive experience. For most applications, two pages is the limit.
How long is an academic CV?
Longer. Prospects says academic CVs can run slightly longer, and Southampton allows more than two pages when an academic CV is required.
Should my second page be full?
Dundee advises avoiding a half-filled page. Aim to end the second page at a natural point rather than leaving a few stray lines.
What font and size should I use?
Edinburgh suggests Arial 12pt as ideal for a two-page UK CV. Whatever you choose, keep it readable and consistent.
Which paper size does a UK CV use?
A4. Prospects refers to two A4 pages, so set your document to A4 if your software defaults to US Letter.
Your next step
Switch your document to A4 and see how many pages you have. If it's over two, delete the personal details, shrink older roles and turn task lists into achievements. Then check the second page ends in a sensible place.
Keep going
Your next steps
Sources
- Prospects: How to write a CV
- University of Edinburgh Careers Service: How to write your CV
- University of Dundee: CV writing guidance for international students
- University of Southampton Careers: CV and covering letter guide
- Newcastle University Careers Service: CVs and cover letters booklet
- Prospects (HECSU) and Keele: What do graduate employers want in a CV?
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