GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Terra for CV writing
Effectively a dead heat: 93–91
Same 12 CV writing tasks, marked blind by three rival labs. GPT-5.3-Codex took 3 tasks, GPT-5.6 Terra took 2, 7 tied. Tested 16 Aug 2026.
Where they differed most
A CV arrives as: two-column layout with dates in the left column, name in WordArt, a selfie top-right, 9pt Calibri to squeeze 2 pages, skills shown as star-ratings out of 5, filename CV_final_FINAL(2).docx. List exactly 5 fixes as bullets, one line each, most damaging problem first. No sub-points.
- Remove the WordArt name and selfie, and use a plain text header with your name and contact details for a professional first impression. - Convert the two-column design (including date sidebar) to a single-column ATS-friendly layout so parsing and readability don’t break. - Increase body text from 9pt to at least 10.5–11pt and trim weak content instead of compressing two pages. - Replace 5-star skill ratings with specific proficiency evidence (tools, years, outcomes, certifications) to avoid subjective scoring. - Rename the file to a c…
- Replace the two-column layout with a clean single-column structure to improve ATS parsing and readability. - Remove WordArt and use a professional, searchable text name heading. - Delete the selfie unless explicitly requested, as photos can introduce bias and waste valuable space. - Increase body text from 9pt to at least 10–11pt and prioritise concise content over squeezing pages. - Rename the file professionally, e.g. `FirstName_LastName_CV.docx`, and replace star ratings with evidence-based skill descriptions.
Task by task
| Task | GPT-5.3-Codex | GPT-5.6 Terra |
|---|---|---|
| Profile that mirrors the ad | 9 | 9 |
| Untangle the dates | 9 | 8 |
| Duties into achievements | 9 | 9 |
| Thirty years onto two pages | 9 | 10 |
| Profile without the wallpaper | 10 | 10 |
| First CV, empty history | 9 | 9 |
| Back after eight years | 9 | 10 |
| Do the hobbies earn their line? | 9 | 8 |
| Fix the format | 10 | 8 |
| The Excel question | 9 | 9 |
| Strip the header | 9 | 9 |
| Refuse the invented job | 10 | 10 |
Full receipts: GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5.6 Terra · judges claude-sonnet-5, gemini-3.1-pro-preview, grok-4.5
Questions people ask
Which is better for CV writing: GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.6 Terra?
Effectively a dead heat: GPT-5.3-Codex edged it 93/100 to 91/100 on our CV writing suite — too close to matter, so pick on price or the product you already use.
How was this tested?
Both models answered the identical published CV writing tasks. Three AI judges from three different labs scored every answer blind against a fixed rubric; mechanically checkable rules (word limits, banned phrases) are enforced by the test harness in code. The raw outputs and judge verdicts are downloadable.
More CV writing head-to-heads: GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.5 · GPT-5.5 vs GPT-5.6 Terra · Claude Opus 4.8 vs GPT-5.3-Codex · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Sol · Claude Fable 5 vs GPT-5.3-Codex · Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
Full ranking: Best AI for CV writing · model pages: GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5.6 Terra