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Preparing a photo and signature for a UPSC application

UPSC applications require a photograph and a signature within a stated size, and some cycles have also required the photograph to show the date on which it was taken. This page explains how to check what your notification asks for and how to prepare both files.

What this form asks for

Set by Union Public Service Commission for Civil Services, NDA, CDS and other UPSC examinations.

We do not publish the numbers for this form

Photograph and signature specifications change between exam cycles, and a figure that is one year out of date can cost you an application. So this page does not quote one.

Take the format, dimensions and size limits from The official notification for your examination, then enter them into the tools below — every tool here accepts custom values.

Step by step

  1. Open the official notification for the examination and year you are applying for. Open the official notification or information bulletin for your exam cycle — the PDF linked from the recruitment body’s own website, not a coaching site or a news article. The photograph and signature specification is normally in an annexure near the end, or in the "How to Apply" section. It will state the accepted format, the pixel dimensions, and the minimum and maximum file size.
  2. Check carefully whether the photograph must display a date, or a name board, or must have been taken within a certain number of months. Some UPSC cycles have required this, and a photograph without it is rejected.
  3. Take the photograph against a plain background in even light, following any date or caption rule exactly as written.
  4. Sign on plain white paper in dark ink and photograph it flat.
  5. Size the photograph and signature with the tools below, using the figures from your notification.
  6. Compress each file to fit within the stated range.
  7. Upload and verify the preview before submitting.

Tools for this form

Each of these runs in your browser. Your photograph and signature are never uploaded.

Common mistakes

  • Using a selfie, a cropped group photo, or a photo taken on a patterned background. Most forms require a recent, plain-background photograph taken straight on.
  • Uploading a signature photographed on a shadowed or lined page. Sign on plain white paper in dark ink and photograph it flat, in even light.
  • Compressing the photo so hard to meet a KB limit that the face is no longer clear. Crop tightly first, then compress — that buys quality back.
  • Missing a minimum size requirement. If a form asks for 20 to 50 KB, a 12 KB file is rejected just as surely as a 90 KB one.
  • Leaving the filename with spaces or special characters when the form asks for a plain name.
  • Not keeping the original photo. Once you compress and overwrite it, you cannot go back if the form asks for a different size.

Frequently asked questions

Are my documents uploaded to this website?
No. Every tool here runs inside your browser, so your photograph and signature stay on your own device. Nothing is transmitted to us, and nothing is stored.
Is this page official?
No. This is an independent guide with no connection to any government department, examination board or recruitment body. It does not reproduce official requirements, because those change between cycles. Always use the specification printed in your own notification.
Does my photo need to show a date?
Some UPSC cycles have required a photograph showing the date it was taken, and occasionally a name board. Whether it applies to you is stated in your own notification — read that section closely, because a photograph missing a required date is normally rejected outright.
Can I reuse the photo from my last application?
Only if it still satisfies the current notification, including any rule about how recently it was taken. Where a notification sets a recency requirement, an older photograph does not meet it however good it looks.

Other form guides

Independent utility tool. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any government organisation or recruitment body. Requirements differ between forms and change between cycles — always follow the specification printed on the form you are filling in.