Every exam resizer publishes a size chart, and they disagree with each other. We compared the two most popular ones and found contradictions on real exams:
| Exam | One chart | The other |
|---|---|---|
| UPSSSC PET | 350 x 450, 50 to 100 KB | 180 x 216, 20 to 50 KB |
| RRB NTPC | 240 x 240 | 320 x 240 |
| GATE | 350 x 450, 10 to 200 KB | 200 x 260, 5 to 200 KB |
| SSC CGL signature | 140 x 60 | 236 x 79 |
At least one side is wrong in every row, and neither cites a source. That includes our chart, most of which is marked unverified for exactly this reason — see how we check sizes.
The only authority is the notification for the specific recruitment you are applying to. It takes about two minutes to check.
Get the right document
Three things matter, and people get them wrong in this order:
- The right year. Requirements change between cycles. Last year's notification for the same exam may specify different sizes.
- The official site. Not a coaching site's summary, not a YouTube description, not a Telegram forward. Every exam page here links to the recruiting body.
- The right post. Some bodies publish separate notifications per post or per zone, with different requirements. RRB in particular varies by zone.
Find the upload section
The notification will be long — 30 to 80 pages is normal. The upload specification is usually in an annexure near the end, titled something like "Guidelines for scanning and uploading documents".
Open the PDF and search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) for:
photographKBpixelscanneddimension
KB is usually the fastest, because it appears almost nowhere else.
Read four things
Are the dimensions exact or a range?
Banking exams state exact pixel counts — 200 x 230 means exactly that, and 201 x 230 fails. UPSC and NTA give ranges, such as 350 x 350 to 1000 x 1000, and anything inside passes. Some give centimetres and a DPI instead, which you convert: centimetres divided by 2.54, times DPI.
Is there a minimum file size as well as a maximum?
This is the one people miss. "20 KB to 50 KB" is a band, and a 9 KB file fails it just as surely as a 60 KB one. See why portals reject files that are too small.
Does the photo need your name and the date on it?
UPSC, NTA and several state commissions require this printed on the image. Forms are rejected without it, often not until verification. Our name and date guide covers the format.
How recent must the photo be?
One month, three months and six months all appear. RRB is usually the strictest.
Also worth noting
- The format — nearly always JPEG. Some accept PNG for signatures.
- Any file-naming requirement. A few portals want
photo.jpgandsignature.jpgexactly. - Whether the signature must be in running handwriting — this is stated explicitly by most bodies, and capitals are rejected.
- Whether there are extra uploads: thumb impression, handwritten declaration, category certificate.
If you find we are wrong
Tell us, and include the PDF link and the page number. That is what moves a preset on this site from unverified to verified, with the date and source shown publicly on the page.
A correction with a source attached is the most useful thing anyone can send us. Without one we can note that sources disagree, but we will not quietly replace one unverified number with another. The contact page has the format.