What is the most common exam photo size?

A 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo at around 20–50 KB in JPEG covers most SSC and state exams, while many bank exams use 200 × 230 px at 20–50 KB. Always check the exact figure in the official notification for your exam.

My signature file is under the minimum KB. What do I do?

Over-compressing pushes tiny signature files below the floor. Pad it back up with the increase image size tool, which adds weight without changing how the signature looks, until it clears the minimum.

The form wants centimetres but I only know pixels. How do I convert?

Multiply the centimetre size by the DPI and divide by 2.54. At 300 DPI, 3.5 × 4.5 cm is about 413 × 531 px. Resize to that pixel size and the physical dimensions will be correct.

Can I upload a PNG if the form does not specify?

Use JPG unless the portal explicitly allows PNG. Most Indian exam portals expect JPG/JPEG, and a PNG can trigger an invalid-format rejection. Convert it with the image to JPG tool first.

Are these the official sizes?

No table on a third-party site is official. The figures here reflect what recent notifications have commonly required, but the conducting body's current notification is the only authority, so confirm there before you upload.

Do my photo and signature get uploaded to your server?

No. Every imgkilo tool runs entirely in your browser, so your photo and signature never leave your device while you resize or compress them.

Exam photo and signature size requirements, explained

Almost every Indian exam form rejects uploads for the same boring reasons: the photo is a few KB too heavy, the signature is the wrong shape, or the file is a PNG when the portal wanted a JPG. This guide collects the typical photo and signature requirements for the major exams, explains what each number actually means, and shows you how to hit any spec in a minute with the compress to KB and resize in pixels tools.

Updated June 23, 20269 min read

Compress your photo or signature to an exact KB sizeType the limit your form shows (e.g. 50 KB) and download a file that fits, processed in your browser with nothing uploaded.

Quick reference: typical photo and signature specs

The table below lists the requirements most commonly seen on recent application forms. Treat it as a starting point, because each conducting body restates the exact dimensions and file limits in every official notification, and they do change between cycles.

Common recent photo and signature requirements by exam
Exam	Photo size	Photo file	Signature size	Signature file	Format
SSC (CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD)	3.5 × 4.5 cm	20–50 KB	4.0 × 2.0 cm	10–20 KB	JPEG
UPSC Civil Services	350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 px	20–300 KB	Plain signature box	20–300 KB	JPG
IBPS (PO, Clerk, RRB)	200 × 230 px	20–50 KB	140 × 60 px	10–20 KB	JPEG
SBI (PO, Clerk)	200 × 230 px	20–50 KB	140 × 60 px	10–20 KB	JPEG
RRB (NTPC, Group D)	3.5 × 3.5 cm approx.	15–40 KB	Within box	10–40 KB	JPEG
GATE	240 × 320 px min	5–200 KB	250 × 80 px approx.	5–200 KB	JPEG
NEET UG (NTA)	Passport + postcard	10–200 KB	Black ink on white	4–30 KB	JPG
JEE Main (NTA)	Passport size	10–200 KB	Black ink on white	4–30 KB	JPG
CTET / CUET (NTA)	Passport size	10–100 KB	Black ink on white	3–30 KB	JPG

Common recent photo and signature requirements by exam

Always confirm the figures against the live notification on the official portal before you upload. A spec table on any third-party site (including this one) is a convenience, not the authority. The conducting body's PDF is.

What each number actually means

Forms describe the same photo in three different languages, and that is where most of the confusion comes from. Once you can translate between them, every spec becomes easy to hit.

Dimensions in pixels vs centimetres

A portal that wants "200 × 230 px" is talking about the literal pixel grid of the image. One that wants "3.5 × 4.5 cm" is talking about a physical print size, which only becomes a fixed pixel count once you pick a DPI. At 300 DPI, 3.5 × 4.5 cm works out to roughly 413 × 531 px. If your form gives centimetres, resize in pixels to that pixel equivalent and you are safe.

DPI

DPI (dots per inch) only matters when a size is given in cm or inches, because it sets how many pixels fill that physical space. Most exam print requirements assume 300 DPI. For a purely on-screen upload measured in pixels, DPI is irrelevant, because the pixel count is all that counts. You can set it with the DPI tool if a form explicitly asks for 300 DPI.

File size in KB

This is the weight of the saved file, separate from its dimensions. A 200 × 230 px photo can be 12 KB or 90 KB depending on JPEG quality. When a form says "20–50 KB", it is the file weight it checks, so you compress to that range without changing the pixel dimensions. The compress to KB tool targets an exact number for this.

Photo rules that apply to nearly every exam

A recent colour photo, taken in the last three to six months, against a plain light background (white or very light grey).
Face square to the camera, filling roughly 70–80% of the frame, both ears and the full head visible, neutral expression, eyes open.
No caps, hats or sunglasses; clear prescription glasses are fine if they do not glare. Headwear for religious reasons is allowed if the face is fully visible.
Even lighting with no harsh shadow behind the head. Busy or dark backgrounds are the single most common rejection reason a resize tool cannot fix.
Some bodies (notably SSC and UPSC) require the applicant's name and the date the photo was taken printed across the bottom of the image. Check this carefully, because a perfect photo without the date strip still gets rejected.

If your background is the problem, swap it before you worry about size with change photo background or the white-background tool. Then handle the dimensions and KB.

Signature rules that apply to nearly every exam

Sign in black or dark blue ink on plain white paper, then scan or photograph it in good light.
Keep the signature inside the box. Most forms want it to fill the box without touching the edges, in a landscape (wider than tall) shape such as 4.0 × 2.0 cm or 140 × 60 px.
Capital-letters-only signatures are rejected by some bodies; use your normal running signature.
Signature files are tiny, usually 10–30 KB, so the challenge is hitting a low ceiling, not gaining size. Crop tight to the ink first, then compress.

Why the form rejects your upload, and the exact fix

Common rejection messages mapped to the fix
What the form says	What it means	Fix
File too large / exceeds limit	File weight is over the KB cap	Compress to the KB limit
File too small	Over-compressed below the minimum KB	Increase the file size up to the floor
Invalid dimensions	Pixel width/height is outside the range	Resize to exact pixels
Invalid format / only JPG allowed	Uploaded a PNG, HEIC or mislabeled file	Convert to JPG
Photo not clear / background	Blur, shadow or busy background	Retake or replace the background

Common rejection messages mapped to the fix

If you are not sure which message maps to which fix, the fix upload errors page walks through each one with the right tool already loaded.

Step by step: get a photo and signature to spec

Read the live notification and note four things: photo dimensions, photo KB range, signature dimensions, signature KB range, plus the format and whether a name/date strip is required.
If the size is in cm, convert to pixels at 300 DPI (or use the cm equivalents above), then resize the photo to those exact pixels.
Fix the background if needed with change photo background, and crop the signature tight to the ink.
Compress the photo to the top of its KB range, aiming a little below the maximum so a re-save by the portal does not push you over.
Do the same for the signature; if it ends up under the minimum KB, pad it back up.
Confirm both files are JPG. Upload, and keep the originals in case a correction window opens.

Where you actually upload (official portals)

Use these as the source of truth for the current spec. Bookmark the one you need and read its notification PDF, because the figures there override any table.

SSC: apply through the One Time Registration (OTR) and exam dashboard at ssc.gov.in.
UPSC: the online application portal at upsconline.nic.in.
IBPS: bank recruitment applications at ibps.in.
NTA exams (NEET UG, JEE Main, CUET, CTET): the relevant portal linked from nta.ac.in.
RRB: the regional Railway Recruitment Board site linked from rrbcdg.gov.in / indianrailways.gov.in.
GATE: the GOAPS portal for the hosting IIT for that year.