Exam bodies change their rules between notifications, so use the numbers below as a working reference and confirm them in your own exam’s official notice before you submit. Where published sources disagree, this guide says so instead of picking one.
If you just need to fix a file now, use the PixDok Image Cropper to set exact pixel dimensions, then the Image Compressor to bring the file size down.
Quick comparison table
| Exam | Photo | Signature | Other uploads |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL, CHSL, CPO, JE) | Captured live in the form; 20–50 KB where an upload is needed | 10–20 KB, JPG | None |
| NEET UG | Passport and 4×6 in postcard photos, 10–200 KB each | 4–30 KB, JPG (a few sources differ) | Thumb impression, 10–200 KB |
| UPSC CSE | 20–200 KB, colour JPG (some sources say 300 KB) | 20–100 KB, 350–500 px (some sources differ) | Live photo capture |
| IBPS / SBI / RBI | 200×230 px, 20–50 KB | 140×60 px, 10–20 KB | Left thumb 240×240 px, 20–50 KB; handwritten declaration 800×400 px, 50–100 KB |
SSC (CGL, CHSL, CPO, JE)
Photo
For SSC exams in 2026, the application module captures your photo while you fill the form, so you don’t need a ready photograph. Don’t wear a cap, mask or glasses when it’s captured. If the captured photo doesn’t meet the requirements, recapture it before moving on.
One guide lists the CGL photo as 275×354 px, 20–50 KB. Treat that as a guide for any photo you still need, for example for your own records or later stages.
Signature
The file size is consistent across sources: JPG/JPEG, 10–20 KB. Dimensions are where sources disagree:
- Some guides give 6.0 cm × 2.0 cm for CGL and CHSL.
- Another guide covering CHSL, JE and CPO gives about 4.0 cm × 2.0 cm in one place and 6 × 2 cm in another.
- A third lists 140 × 60 pixels as the preferred size.
Because the figures vary by notification and post, read the dimension line in your exam’s own notice. Whatever the dimensions, keep the file between 10 and 20 KB, sign in black ink on white paper, and use a running hand.
NEET UG
NEET UG 2026 registration opened on 8 February 2026, and the exam was scheduled for 3 May 2026. The figures below come from the 2026 cycle. If you’re preparing for the next one, expect a new information bulletin and check whether anything has changed.
Photographs
- Passport-size photo: 10–200 KB, JPG/JPEG, white background, about 80% face coverage, ears visible.
- Postcard-size photo: 4"×6" (10.16 × 15.24 cm), 10–200 KB, white background. Keep at least four printed copies.
- Both photos must be in colour.
Signature
Most sources give 4 KB to 30 KB, JPG/JPEG. A few other guides list different ranges for the same field (10–50 KB or 10–100 KB). The 4–30 KB figure is the narrowest and most widely repeated, so a file inside it also sits inside the other ranges, as long as it doesn’t drop below 10 KB. Use black ink on white paper and avoid capital letters.
Thumb impression
Left and right thumb impressions are listed at 10–200 KB in JPG.
Printed photos
NEET also needs printed passport and postcard photos for the exam. You can prepare a white-background photo and a print sheet with the PixDok Passport Photo Maker. It creates print sheets and doesn’t enforce an upload KB limit, so use the cropper and compressor for the online upload.
UPSC (Civil Services and other exams)
UPSC is the one where published numbers disagree most.
Photo
Two prep-institute guides on the 2026 CSE notification give a colour JPG of 20–200 KB, saved under the filename “photo.” Another summary lists 20–300 KB with pixel dimensions from 350×350 up to 1000×1000.
Signature
The same split appears:
- 20–100 KB at 350–500 pixels, filename “signature,” according to two guides.
- 20–300 KB at 350×350 to 1000×1000 according to another.
Other points
- UPSC 2026 asks for a live photograph during application submission, and the application won’t proceed if the uploaded photo doesn’t match it.
- UPSC prescribes a triple-signature format that many candidates overlook. Read the signature instructions on the portal.
- Orientation matters. A blurry or wrongly oriented image can lead to rejection, and the CSE form has had no correction facility, so a mistake can mean filling a new application.
Safe approach
Aim for the overlap of all the ranges: keep the photo at 20–200 KB and the signature at 20–100 KB, both at 350–500 px, then check the live notice.
Bank exams (IBPS PO/Clerk/RRB, SBI PO/Clerk, RBI)
Banking is the most consistent set. The official RBI and IBPS appendices list:
- Photograph: 200 × 230 pixels (preferred), 20–50 KB.
- Signature: 140 × 60 pixels (preferred), 10–20 KB. Signatures in capital letters are not accepted.
Exam-prep sites covering IBPS and SBI list these additional uploads:
| Document | Dimensions | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Left thumb impression | 240 × 240 px (200 DPI) | 20–50 KB |
| Handwritten declaration | 800 × 400 px | 50–100 KB |
Thumb impression and declaration rules
- Make the thumb impression on white paper in black or blue ink. Scan it cleanly, without smudging.
- If you have no left thumb, you may use the right thumb.
- The declaration must be in your own handwriting. Copy the exact wording from your notice, since IBPS and SBI use different text, and avoid writing it in capital letters.
- The signature, thumb impression and declaration must be yours, not another person’s.
Recent bank notices also ask for a live photo capture alongside these uploads.
How to get any file inside the limit
Follow this order. Dimensions come first, because changing only the file size doesn’t change the pixel dimensions.
- Crop to the exact pixel size. Open the PixDok Image Cropper, enter the width and height in pixels, and export as JPG.
- Check the file size. Right-click the saved file and read “Size”, not “Size on disk.”
- If it’s over the maximum, compress it. Open Compress Image. Start with Balanced (75%). If the file is still too large, try Small File (55%), and check the size again after each try.
- If it’s under the minimum, don’t compress. Go back to the cropper and export at a higher quality. Very small images such as a 140×60 px signature can land below 10 KB. If the notice says dimensions are “preferred”, a slightly larger size is a safer fix than padding the file.
- Aim inside the range, not at the edge. For a 20 KB limit, target 16–18 KB, since portals can count slightly differently than your computer.
- Save as JPG/JPEG unless the notice says otherwise, and use the required filename if one is given (UPSC).
Settings by document
| Document | Crop to | Target size | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank photo | 200 × 230 px | 20–50 KB | IBPS, SBI, RBI |
| Bank signature | 140 × 60 px | 10–20 KB | IBPS, SBI, RBI |
| Left thumb impression | 240 × 240 px | 20–50 KB | IBPS, SBI |
| Handwritten declaration | 800 × 400 px | 50–100 KB | IBPS, SBI |
| UPSC photo and signature | 350–500 px | Photo 20–200 KB, signature 20–100 KB | UPSC |
| NEET signature | As per bulletin | 4–30 KB | NEET UG |
| SSC signature | As per your notice | 10–20 KB | SSC |
Tips for a good photo and signature
- Photo: use even lighting, face the camera, keep the camera at eye level and avoid beauty filters. If your background is cluttered, the Passport Photo Maker can replace it with white.
- Signature: sign with a black pen on plain white paper in a running hand, then scan or photograph it flat in good light. Crop close to the signature so it fills the frame.
- Phone photos from iPhones: if your file is HEIC, convert it to JPG first with the HEIC to JPG tool.
- Do it early. Portals slow down near the deadline, so prepare your files before the last few days.
Why uploads get rejected
- The file is a few KB over the maximum or under the minimum.
- The dimensions are wrong, or a landscape image was uploaded where portrait is expected.
- The scan is blurry, or the signature is too small within the frame.
- The signature is written in capital letters (bank exams).
- The photo shows a cap, mask or glasses in a live-captured shot.
- The file type is wrong, such as a PDF instead of a JPG.
- The signature, thumb or declaration belongs to someone else.
- The uploaded photo doesn’t match the live capture (UPSC).
If your file is only a little over the limit, the fix is usually the Image Compressor. If the shape is wrong, start over in the Image Cropper.
FAQ
Dimensions and signature KB ranges. Always compare against your current official notice.
Follow the official notice. If you can’t confirm it, choose a file that sits inside both ranges.
You can reuse the signature itself, but resize a fresh copy for each exam, since the KB and pixel limits differ.
Rescan at a higher resolution or export at higher JPEG quality. Don’t add blank space or change the aspect ratio.
No. Compression changes the file size, not the dimensions, so crop first and compress second.
Most notices accept either. Both are the same format, so just check the extension your notice names.
Usually yes, if it’s clear, well lit and front-facing, and the final file meets the notice. For live-capture exams, the camera in the form is used instead.
Official sources to check
Always confirm against the notice for your exam:
- SSC: ssc.gov.in
- NEET UG: neet.nta.nic.in
- UPSC: upsconline.nic.in
- IBPS: ibps.in
- SBI: sbi.co.in
- RBI recruitment notices: rbi.org.in
PixDok is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam authority. It helps you prepare files, but acceptance depends on the requirements of the body you’re applying to.