Why exams ask for both a photo and a signature
Recruitment portals verify identity at multiple stages — admit card, exam centre, document verification — so they capture a photo and a signature up front, each as a separate file with distinct rules. The two almost never share the same dimensions or KB limit, which is why people who nail the photo still get rejected on the signature.
The common photo spec
Most exams want a recent colour passport-style photo on a plain light or white background, saved as JPEG. Banking exams (IBPS, SBI) typically use 200×230 px at 20–50 KB; SSC and many others use roughly 350×450 px at 20–50 KB. NTA exams (NEET, JEE, UGC NET) allow a wider 10–200 KB band and often require your name and the date printed below the photo.
The common signature spec
Sign in black ink on plain white paper, scan or photograph it, and crop tightly to the ink. Signature uploads are small — commonly 140×60 px at 10–20 KB — and many portals enforce a minimum size as well as a maximum, so an over-compressed signature can be rejected for being too small.
Exam-by-exam quick reference
Each exam below has its own page with the exact photo and signature spec, a source link, and a one-click path to the tool with the right dimensions and KB target pre-filled:
- SSC: CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD Constable, CPO, Stenographer
- Banking: IBPS PO / Clerk / RRB, SBI PO / Clerk
- NTA: NEET, JEE Main, UGC NET
- Teaching: CTET
- PAN card: NSDL/Protean, UTIITSL
How to prepare both files
Prepare the photo first, then the signature, checking each against the exam's exact spec. Use JPEG for both, keep the signature on a clean white background, and confirm the final KB before uploading. The exact-KB pages below pre-set common signature targets.