Nearly every Indian government exam application — SSC, UPSC, RRB, IBPS, SBI, RBI, and the state public service commissions — asks for some combination of the same four documents: a photograph, a signature, and for banking exams specifically, a thumb impression and a handwritten declaration. The specific pixel dimensions and file size limits vary by exam and change between recruitment cycles, but the underlying preparation process is consistent enough that it's worth doing once, properly, before you start filling out any application form.
This checklist walks through each document type in the order most application forms ask for them, with what to prepare and what to double-check before uploading. Always confirm the exact numbers — pixel dimensions, KB range, format — against your specific exam's current notification, since these are the kind of details that can shift between cycles even when the overall process stays the same.
1. The Photograph
What most exams ask for: A recent color passport-style photograph with a plain white or light background, face clearly visible and front-facing. SSC and RRB-family exams commonly specify 200×230 pixels; SSC CGL and CHSL currently use 275×354 pixels; banking exams (IBPS, SBI, RBI) typically use 200×230 pixels; UPSC, NEET, JEE, and GATE allow larger file sizes (up to 100-300KB) with more flexibility. File size for SSC, RRB, and banking exams is commonly 20-50KB.
Before you shoot it: Use a plain white or light wall as the background, stand in even daylight or bright indoor lighting without harsh shadows, and keep your face centered and unobstructed — no sunglasses, cap, heavy filter, or extreme close-up crop. Take the photo fresh for the current application cycle rather than reusing one from a previous year, since several notifications specifically ask for a photo taken within the last three months. If the resulting photo is dim or low-contrast, the image enhancer can help before you resize.
Before you upload it: Confirm the output pixel dimensions match exactly, the file size sits inside the stated range (not just under the maximum — several exams also enforce a minimum), and the format is JPG or JPEG. Check the preview for stretching or distortion, which happens when an image is resized without maintaining its original proportions.
2. The Signature
What most exams ask for: A signature in black ink on plain white paper, photographed or scanned clearly. SSC, RRB, and banking exams commonly use 140×60 pixels at 10-20KB; UPSC uses a wider 400×100 pixel format with a larger range up to 300KB; NEET and JEE typically use around 200×80 pixels.
Before you shoot it: Sign on unlined white paper with black ballpoint pen, photograph from directly above in even light, and crop tightly around just the signature before resizing — uploading a photo of the whole page wastes most of the frame and shrinks the actual signature after resizing to the small required dimensions. For banking exams specifically, avoid writing the signature in all capital letters, since several notifications state this isn't accepted.
Before you upload it: Zoom into the processed preview and confirm every stroke is still legible at the small target size — signatures with fine or closely spaced strokes are the most likely document to lose legibility under aggressive compression. See our full signature scanning guide for the complete step-by-step process.
3. The Thumb Impression (Banking Exams)
What it's for: IBPS PO, Clerk, and RRB, SBI PO and Clerk, and RBI Grade B and Assistant forms typically ask for a left thumb impression, commonly at 240×240 pixels and 20-50KB. This document type doesn't appear in non-banking exams like SSC, UPSC, or the railway RRB forms.
Before you make it: Use a black stamp pad on plain white paper — a basic stationery-shop pad is enough. Press the left thumb firmly, lift straight up without dragging to avoid smudging, and let it dry for about 30 seconds before photographing. Photograph from directly above in even light, keeping the impression square rather than distorted by an angled shot.
Before you upload it: Check that the impression is left thumb (not right — most banking forms are specific about this), the ridge lines are visible rather than a solid dark blot or a too-faint mark, and the background is clean white paper without stray ink marks.
4. The Handwritten Declaration (Banking Exams)
What it's for: IBPS PO, Clerk, and RRB, SBI PO and Clerk, and RBI Grade B forms, plus Railway RRB (NTPC, Group D, JE, ALP), commonly ask for a short handwritten statement — typically at 800×400 pixels and 50-100KB — confirming that the submitted information is correct and that supporting documents will be produced when required. See the bank declaration hub if you're comparing requirements across more than one bank.
Before you write it: Copy the exact wording shown on your specific application's current screen rather than an old or unofficial version — small wording differences matter here, since the portal expects the official text. Write it by hand in English, in black or dark blue ink, on plain unlined paper, and avoid capital letters for the full paragraph. Fill in your name exactly as it appears elsewhere in the form.
Before you upload it: Confirm the file is handwritten, not typed or printed — this is the single most common and most serious mistake with this document type, and can cause rejection even when every technical spec is otherwise met.
Putting It All Together
If you're applying to more than one exam in the same season, prepare one clean, well-lit source photo and one clean, tightly cropped signature photo, then resize each to the specific dimensions and file size your particular exam requires rather than reusing a single processed file across different applications. Keep processed files in clearly labeled folders — separated by exam — since one of the most common upload mistakes is accidentally selecting the wrong file, or the original unprocessed photo, from a folder containing files for several different applications.
For a deeper look at what actually goes wrong during upload — and how to catch each mistake before you submit — see our companion guide on common exam document upload mistakes. And for the exam-specific tools that load each exam's exact dimensions and file size automatically, start from the full tools list.