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Sarkari exam forms reject photos and signatures that miss the exact KB window — sometimes for being too big, sometimes for being too small. Here are the 2026 specs and a local workflow that hits them.
Short answer: SSC and most bank forms want a 200×230 px photo at 20–50 KB and a 140×60 px signature at 10–20 KB, both JPG. Crop to the right ratio, then compress to the exact KB with our 50 KB and 20 KB tools — locally, so your documents never leave your device. In our test, an 823 KB phone photo compressed to 49.8 KB.
By the Tool Pantry team, October 2026. Specs compiled from published notification patterns for the 2026 cycle; our compression numbers measured with Chrome 155 on macOS. Boards change limits between cycles — always verify against the current official notification before submitting.
The specs, exam by exam
| Exam | Photo | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS / GD) | 200×230 px · JPG · 20–50 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · 10–20 KB |
| RRB (NTPC / Group D / ALP) | 200×230 px · JPG · 15–40 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · 10–30 KB |
| IBPS / SBI (PO / Clerk) | 200×230 px · JPG · up to 50 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · up to 20 KB |
| UPSC (CSE and others) | 350–1000 px · JPG · 20–300 KB · face ≈75% | 140×60 px · JPG · 20–300 KB |
| CTET / JEE / NEET | 200×230 px · JPG · 10–100 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · 4–30 KB |
Two things the table can't show. First, most boards also enforce a minimum — a 5 KB photo gets rejected just like a 500 KB one. Second, the dimension windows matter: UPSC in particular checks the pixel range and how much of the frame the face fills.
Why portals reject perfectly good photos
- Too big — a phone photo is 3–8 MB; the window is 20–50 KB. This is the common case, and it's a compression problem.
- Too small — aggressive WhatsApp forwarding can drop a photo under the minimum. Re-export from the original.
- Wrong format — PNG screenshots named ".jpg". The portal checks the actual file, not the name.
- Wrong crop — full-body shots, tilted scans, or signatures with half the page of white space around them.
The local workflow (photo and signature)
- Crop to the ratio. For the photo, a head-and-shoulders crop close to 4:5 (use Crop image with the ratio locked). For the signature, crop tight to the ink — white space is wasted KB.
- Compress to the exact KB. The 50 KB tool for photos (or 20 KB for RRB), the 20 KB tool for signatures. The compressor keeps the largest dimensions that fit under the cap — in our test, an 823 KB photo landed at 49.8 KB.
- Check and upload. The result panel shows the final size; if the portal wants a minimum too, a bigger quality target (100 KB tool) gives you headroom.
Documents (certificates, marksheets, ID)
Most forms want supporting documents as PDFs with their own limits — often 200–500 KB per document, occasionally 2 MB. Two tools cover it: merge photos or scans into one PDF with JPG to PDF, then shrink the result with Compress PDF (our 3-page scan test: 793 KB → 122 KB). Both run locally — worth remembering when the document in question is your ID.
The honest parts
Specs change between cycles and sometimes between regions — treat the table as a checklist to verify, not gospel. Our tools handle KB limits precisely and the ratio crop; if your portal also validates exact pixel dimensions and rejects the upload, set the exact pixels in your phone's built-in editor first, then compress here. And a privacy note: every tool linked in this guide runs in your browser — your photo, signature, and ID scans are never uploaded to a server, ours or anyone's. That matters more for identity documents than for almost anything else you'll put online.
What is the photo size for SSC forms?
For most SSC forms (CGL, CHSL, MTS): a recent photo at 200×230 pixels, JPG, between 20 KB and 50 KB. The signature is 140×60 pixels, JPG, 10–20 KB. Always re-check the current notification — boards do change limits.
What is the signature size for SSC and IBPS?
SSC: 10–20 KB at roughly 140×60 px. IBPS and SBI: up to 20 KB, same 140×60 px. Sign in black ink on plain white paper, and keep the crop tight — empty space wastes your KB budget.
How do I compress a photo to exactly 50 KB?
Use the target-size compressor set to 50 KB: add the photo and it lands under the cap, keeping the largest dimensions that fit. In our test, an 823 KB photo came out at 49.8 KB.
Do the pixel dimensions matter too?
Often yes — several portals validate exact dimensions. Crop to the required ratio first (the standard photo ratio is close to 4:5), and if your portal enforces exact pixels, set them in your phone's editor before compressing. This guide's tools handle the KB limits precisely.