Government ExamsMay 12, 2026

Photo & Signature Size for Indian Govt Exams

Complete photo and signature size requirements for SSC, UPSC, IBPS, Railway, NEET, JEE and all major Indian government exams. Resize and compress your photos to exact specifications in seconds.

Photo & Signature Size for Indian Govt Exams

Every year, lakhs of candidates lose their chance at government jobs — not because they failed the exam, but because their photo or signature was rejected during the application process. A photo that is 1 pixel too wide, 5KB too heavy, or saved in the wrong format can cause an automatic rejection with no explanation.

This guide is the single most complete reference for photo and signature requirements across every major Indian government exam in 2026. Bookmark this page — you will need it every time you fill out an application form.

Why Getting Photo Size Right Matters

Government recruitment portals are managed by NIC (National Informatics Centre), which enforces strict technical specifications for uploaded images. These are not suggestions — they are hard-coded validation rules. If your image does not meet the exact pixel dimensions, file size range, and format requirement, the portal will reject your upload instantly.

The most common reasons for photo rejection:

  • File size too large — your 2MB phone photo needs to be under 50KB
  • Wrong dimensions — the portal needs exactly 200×230 pixels, not "approximately"
  • Wrong format — PNG or HEIC will be rejected; only JPG/JPEG is accepted
  • Signature too blurry — aggressive compression destroyed the text clarity

Master Table: All Exam Photo & Signature Requirements

Central Government Exams

| Exam | Photo Size (px) | Photo KB Range | Signature Size (px) | Signature KB Range | Format | |------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | UPSC CSE (IAS/IPS) | 200×230 | 20–300 KB | 140×60 | 10–80 KB | JPG | | UPSC CDS | 200×240 | 10–300 KB | 100×60 | 4–30 KB | JPG | | UPSC NDA | 200×240 | 10–300 KB | 100×60 | 4–30 KB | JPG | | UPSC CAPF | 200×230 | 20–300 KB | 140×60 | 10–80 KB | JPG | | SSC CGL | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | SSC CHSL | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | SSC MTS | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | SSC GD Constable | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | SSC JE | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG |

Banking & Insurance Exams

| Exam | Photo Size (px) | Photo KB Range | Signature Size (px) | Signature KB Range | Format | |------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | IBPS PO | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | IBPS Clerk | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | IBPS SO | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | IBPS RRB | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | SBI PO | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | SBI Clerk | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | RBI Grade B | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | RBI Assistant | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | LIC AAO | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | NIACL AO | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG |

Railway Exams

| Exam | Photo Size (px) | Photo KB Range | Signature Size (px) | Signature KB Range | Format | |------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | RRB NTPC | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | RRB Group D | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | RRB ALP | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG | | RRB JE | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–20 KB | JPG |

Competitive & Entrance Exams

| Exam | Photo Size (px) | Photo KB Range | Signature Size (px) | Signature KB Range | Format | |------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | NEET UG | 200×230 | 10–200 KB | 140×60 | 10–50 KB | JPG | | NEET PG | 200×230 | 10–200 KB | 140×60 | 10–50 KB | JPG | | JEE Main | 200×230 | 4–200 KB | 140×60 | 4–30 KB | JPG | | JEE Advanced | 200×230 | 4–200 KB | 140×60 | 4–30 KB | JPG | | GATE | 200×230 | 5–200 KB | 140×60 | 5–50 KB | JPG | | CUET | 200×230 | 10–200 KB | 140×60 | 4–30 KB | JPG | | CLAT | 200×230 | 20–100 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG |

State PSC Exams

| Exam | Photo Size (px) | Photo KB Range | Signature Size (px) | Signature KB Range | Format | |------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | UPPSC PCS | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | BPSC | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–50 KB | JPG | | MPSC | 200×230 | 20–100 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | KPSC | 200×230 | 20–50 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG | | WBPSC | 200×230 | 20–100 KB | 140×60 | 10–30 KB | JPG |

Important: Always verify the exact specifications from the official notification PDF before submitting. Requirements can change between exam cycles.

How to Resize Your Photo to Exact Specifications

Step 1 — Start with a Good Photo

  • Use a recent passport-style photo taken against a plain white background
  • Ensure your face covers about 70–80% of the frame
  • Avoid selfies — use a proper camera or visit a photo studio
  • Photo should be in colour with proper lighting, no shadows on face

Step 2 — Resize to Exact Pixels Using Imgkaro

  1. Go to Imgkaro Resize Tool
  2. Upload your photo
  3. Enter the required dimensions — for example, 200×230 pixels for SSC exams
  4. Click Resize and download the result

Step 3 — Compress to Required KB Range

Most portals require photos between 20–50 KB. After resizing:

  1. Go to Imgkaro Compress Tool
  2. Upload your resized photo
  3. Set target size — for example, 40 KB (safely within the 20–50 KB range)
  4. Download the compressed photo

Step 4 — Prepare Your Signature

  1. Sign on a blank white paper using a black ink pen
  2. Take a clear photo of just the signature in good lighting
  3. Use Imgkaro Resize Tool to resize to 140×60 pixels
  4. Compress to the required KB range using Compress Tool

Step 5 — Verify Before Uploading

After processing, right-click your file and check Properties to confirm:

  • File size is within the required KB range
  • Dimensions match exactly (200×230 for photo, 140×60 for signature)
  • Format is JPG/JPEG

Common Mistakes That Cause Photo Rejection

  1. Using a phone selfie — Front cameras create mirrored, low-quality images. Use the back camera or a studio photo.

  2. Compressing too aggressively — If the portal asks for 20–50 KB, aim for 35–40 KB. Going to exactly 20 KB might make the photo too blurry.

  3. Wrong aspect ratio — Do not stretch your photo to fit. Use Imgkaro's crop tool to properly crop before resizing.

  4. Signature on lined paper — Always sign on plain white paper. Lines in the background cause automatic rejection on many portals.

  5. Photo with watermark or date stamp — Make sure your camera's date stamp feature is turned off.

  6. Uploading PNG instead of JPG — Some phones save photos as PNG. Use Imgkaro Converter to convert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My photo is 52KB but the limit is 50KB. Will it be rejected? Yes, most portals have hard limits. Even 1KB over the limit will cause rejection. Use Imgkaro to compress to exactly 45KB to be safe.

Q: Can I use a scanned passport photo? Yes, but ensure the scan is high quality (300 DPI minimum) and crop it properly before resizing.

Q: The portal says "Invalid file" — what does that mean? This usually means either the file size, dimensions, or format is wrong. Check all three using file Properties.

Q: Can I use the same photo for all exams? If your photo meets the most restrictive requirements (like SSC's 20–50 KB, 200×230 px), you can use it for almost all central government exams since they share the same NIC infrastructure.

Q: What if the portal requires a left thumb impression? Some exams (like SSC) require a thumb impression image. The typical size is 200×230 pixels, 20–50 KB, JPG format — same as the photo specifications.

Q: How recent should my photo be? Most exams require a photo taken within the last 3–6 months. Some (like UPSC) specify the photo should not be older than the date of notification.

Quick Links to Imgkaro Tools