[Update: Quizzle no longer uses the CE score, they now use VantageScore]
This is the third post in our credit score comparison series (week one: FICO Vs PLUS, week two: FICO Vs VantageScore) where we look at different credit scores to see how they differ from each other. This week we are looking at the FICO score from FICO and the CE score from CE analytics (which used by Quizzle.com, they now use VantageScore).
Comparison Table
| FICO Score | CE Score | |
| Minimum Score | 300 | 350 |
| Maximum Score | 850 | 850 |
| Median Score | 723 | N/A |
| CRA’s the score is based on | EX, EQ & TU | EX |
| Available to Individuals | Yes | Yes |
| Acessible for Free | Yes | Yes |
| Used by Lenders | Yes | No |
| Scoring Criteria | ||
| Payment History | 35% | 20% |
| Credit Utilization | 30% | 30% |
| Length of Credit History | 15% | 5% |
| Types of Credit used | 10% | 10% |
| Recent Searches for New Credit | 10% | 5% (called “new credit”) |
| Credit Balances | 0% | 10% (called “balances”) |
| Available credit | 0% | 5% |
| Cash flow | Â 0% | 15% |
CE has a higher minimum score (350 vs FICO’s 300) but the same maximum score (both 850). It put’s significantly less emphasis on payment history (20% vs FICO’s 35%) and length of credit history (5% vs 15%).
One thing they do is take into account a person’s current credit balance (10%) and cash flow (15%). Both of these things are looked at by lenders, but they are usually looked at in addition to a person’s credit score rather than part of it.
For example, a credit card issuer will always look at a persons income (cash flow) before approving them for a credit card. CE does this to try and give individuals a better idea of their overall credit health. Unfortunately this can skew the data so that it’s effectively counted twice, which is one of the many reasons why the CE score isn’t used by lenders.
How Do The Scores Compare?
The CE score is based on Experian data, so I pulled my Experian FICO score from myFICO.com to compare the two (the only way to do so is to purchase it for $19.95, check for promo codes before doing so). It’s not possible to get your CE score publicly as Quizzle has stopped offering it.
| FICO | CE | |
| My Score | 821 | 732 |
As you can see, there is a massive difference between my scores (89 points in total). I’m not exactly sure why this is as I have good cash flow and low credit balances. The only thing that I can think of is that I have an excellent payment history record (no late payments) which could be causing this difference.
Because the CE score isn’t used by lenders, there isn’t a whole lot of point tracking it. As it’s no longer used by Quizzle, it’s hard to even find out what your CE score is anymore.
We always recommend checking your FICO score before applying for credit just to ensure you’re in a range they are likely to accept. There are a bunch of different ways to find out what your score is.
