Manoj had been preparing for SSC CGL for 2 years. Application form day finally came. He spent 4 hours filling every detail perfectly. Photo upload step: "JPEG only, 20KB–50KB, 200×230 pixels." His phone photo was 4MB. It was 11 PM. Form closing at midnight. He almost missed it.
Government exam photo requirements are strict and unforgiving. One wrong dimension or file size, and the portal rejects your upload — sometimes with no clear error message. Here's everything you need to know before you hit submit.
Photo Requirements for Major Exams
UPSC CSE
Maximum 300KB, dimensions approximately 3.5cm × 4.5cm (roughly 413×531 pixels at 300 DPI). White or light background, face clearly visible, no cap or sunglasses.
SSC CGL
Maximum 50KB, dimensions 200×230 pixels. JPEG format only. This is one of the strictest size limits — most phone photos start at 2–5MB.
Railway RRB
Maximum 40KB, dimensions 200×230 pixels. Similar to SSC but even tighter on file size. Compress after resizing.
IBPS Bank PO
Maximum 50KB, dimensions 200×230 pixels. Signature uploaded separately — don't mix them up.
State PSC
Varies by state — usually 50KB max with dimensions between 200×230 and 350×350 pixels. Always read the specific notification PDF before uploading.
Signature Requirements
Signatures are uploaded separately from photos. Typical specs: black ink on white paper, scanned or photographed clearly, usually under 20KB. Dimensions around 140×60 pixels for SSC. Sign on plain white paper, photograph in good light, then resize and compress separately.
Step-by-Step Resize Guide Using WorkUtilities
- Open the Photo Resizer in your phone browser
- Select the Government Exam preset or enter custom dimensions (200×230 for SSC/Railway)
- Upload your photo and crop to fit the frame
- If still over the KB limit, use Image Compress to reduce under 50KB
- Download JPEG and upload to the exam portal
For detailed dimensions across all government IDs, see our Government Exam Photo Size guide.
Common Rejection Reasons
- File size exceeds limit (most common — phone photos are too large)
- Wrong dimensions or aspect ratio
- PNG format instead of JPEG
- Blurry photo or poor lighting
- Background not plain white or light coloured
- Face too small or partially cut off
How to Take Exam Photo at Home
You don't need a studio. Stand against a plain white wall near a window for natural light. Face the light source — don't stand with the window behind you. Neutral expression, eyes open, no cap. Click from chest-up distance, then crop and resize in the tool.
Manoj fixed his photo in 15 minutes using these steps and submitted with 45 minutes to spare. Don't be Manoj-at-11-PM — resize before form day.