Getty Images North America/Getty Images News/Getty Images Biodata, or bio data, is short for “biographical data” and is a form of resume used when applying for certain jobs. A bio data focuses on the candidate’s personal information such as gender, race, age and religion, and for this reason it is not commonly used in the United States. Although the term is outdated and is still sometimes used interchangeably with the word resume in some countries, a bio data generally differs from a resume or curriculum vitae in that the focus is on statistical information rather than specific skills, such as with a resume, or general achievements, such as with a A bio data is often submitted in conjunction with other supporting documents, such as research proposals, and it may or may not contain an education and work history in addition to personal bio data is most often used when applying for governmental positions in certain countries where personal information is required, such as India. Due to the fact that a bio data specifically lists information such as age, race, religion, gender and marital status it is not commonly used internationally or in job markets such as the United States where candidates are not required to disclose such information. MORE FROM