Q: What does it mean if the status changes directly from Editor Assignment Pending to Reviews Completed?

Statuses and status updates vary across journals. In this case, Reviews Completed might refer to the admin review, rather than to the associate editor (AE) or the peer review. If so, the admin review is complete, and the manuscript should now proceed to the AE review. Here is a similar query we received some time back: What does it mean if the status changes directly from "Editor assignment pending" to "Required reviews completed"?

In case it means that the AE review is complete, the next step might be either a peer review or a referral to the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the decision.

I think it’s best to wait for the next status update for more clarity. In case the status doesn’t change for a few weeks or there is no communication from the journal, you may write to them to check.

Here are some other relevant queries.

• The status shows "Reviews completed" but the editor is not replying. What should I do?
• My paper's status is "Editor assignment pending." What does it indicate?

All the best for your manuscript!