Every recruitment cycle, a share of applications run into trouble not because of the candidate's eligibility or preparation, but because of the document upload step — a photo that doesn't match the required pixel dimensions, a signature file that's a few kilobytes over the limit, or a declaration that was typed instead of handwritten. These are avoidable problems, and most of them repeat across exams because the same categories of documents — photograph, signature, thumb impression, and handwritten declaration — show up across SSC, UPSC, RRB, IBPS, SBI, RBI, and the state public service commissions with broadly similar rules.
This guide walks through the mistakes that show up most often in each document category, based on the requirements published across these recruitment bodies' notifications. If you're prepping documents for more than one exam at once, the same checklist applies to most of them.
Photograph Mistakes
Wrong background. Most exams specify a white or light background — RRB, SSC, and the state PSCs commonly ask for this. IBPS, SBI, and RBI forms typically say "light" background rather than strictly white. A colored wall, patterned curtain, or outdoor background behind you is one of the most common reasons a photo gets flagged during review, even when the dimensions and file size are otherwise correct.
Stretched or distorted dimensions. Exam portals specify exact pixel dimensions — commonly 200×230px for SSC and RRB-family exams, 275×354px for SSC CGL and CHSL, and other specific sizes for UPSC, NEET, JEE, and the state PSCs. Forcing an image into the wrong aspect ratio by dragging its corners in a basic editor stretches faces and signatures in a way that's visually obvious. Use a tool that resizes onto a properly proportioned canvas instead of stretching the original.
File size outside the allowed range. Nearly every exam specifies both a minimum and maximum KB — for example 20-50KB is common across SSC, RRB, and banking exam photos, while UPSC, NEET, JEE, and GATE allow a wider range up to 100-300KB. Going over the maximum gets the file rejected outright by most portals; going under the minimum can mean the file was compressed so hard that the face is no longer clearly identifiable, which can cause problems later during verification even if the upload itself succeeds.
An old or outdated photo. Several notifications specifically ask for a photo taken within the last three months. Reusing a photo from a previous application cycle — even if it technically meets the pixel and KB requirements — goes against this instruction and can cause a mismatch during in-person verification if your appearance has changed.
Sunglasses, caps, filters, and heavy edits. This applies broadly: a clear, front-facing, unfiltered photo with the face fully visible is the baseline expectation everywhere. Photo filters, heavy brightness edits, or accessories that obscure the face are a common and entirely avoidable rejection reason.
Signature Mistakes
Uploading in capital letters. This is specific but important: IBPS, SBI, and RBI notifications commonly state that a signature written in capital letters is not accepted, since it doesn't represent a natural signing style. If your everyday signature happens to be in block letters, that's generally fine — the rule is about not converting a normal signature into all-caps for the photo. See our full signature scanning guide for the complete preparation process.
Wrong ink or paper. Black ink on white paper is the standard across nearly every exam's signature requirement. A colored pen, lined notebook paper, or a signature scanned from a colored background can make the file look unclear even when the pixel dimensions are correct.
Loose cropping. Signature dimensions tend to be small and wide — 140×60px is common for SSC, RRB, and banking exams, while UPSC and some others use different wide-format sizes like 400×100px. Uploading a photo of the entire sheet of paper instead of a tightly cropped signature wastes most of the frame on blank space, and after resizing to the required small dimensions, the actual signature can shrink to the point of being hard to read.
File size mismatches. Signature files tend to have tighter KB limits than photos — often 10-20KB for SSC, RRB, and banking exams. A phone photo straight from the camera is almost always too large before compression, and equally, compressing too aggressively past the minimum can blur the signature's fine lines.
Thumb Impression Mistakes
Thumb impression uploads are specific to banking exams — IBPS PO, Clerk, and RRB, SBI PO and Clerk, and RBI Grade B and Assistant forms typically ask for one, usually at 240×240px and 20-50KB. The most common mistakes here are uploading the right thumb instead of the left (most banking forms specifically ask for left thumb only), a smudged or dragged impression from moving the thumb while pressing down, and using colored or lined paper instead of plain white. An over-inked impression can turn into a dark blob after compression, while an under-inked one can lose ridge detail — both are easy to avoid by testing the impression once on scrap paper before making the final one for upload.
Handwritten Declaration Mistakes
Several banking exams — IBPS PO, Clerk, and RRB, SBI PO and Clerk, and RBI Grade B, plus Railway RRB — ask for a short handwritten declaration, typically at 800×400px and 50-100KB, stating that the information submitted is correct and that supporting documents will be produced when required. The most serious mistake here is submitting a typed or printed version — the requirement is specifically for handwriting, and a typed declaration can be rejected even if the file otherwise meets every technical spec. As with signatures, writing the full paragraph in capital letters is commonly flagged as unacceptable. A declaration copied from an old or unofficial source with slightly different wording than what the current application portal shows is another avoidable error — always match the exact text displayed on the live form.
Mistakes That Apply Across Every Document Type
Uploading the original file instead of the processed one. This is probably the single most common mistake across every document category. It's easy to resize and compress a file correctly, then accidentally select the original multi-megabyte photo from your gallery or downloads folder during the actual upload step. Keeping processed files in a clearly labeled, separate folder — and double-checking the filename and file size shown by the upload widget before submitting — avoids this.
Wrong file format. Nearly every document field across these exams specifies JPG or JPEG specifically. Uploading a PNG, WEBP, or a file just renamed with a .jpg extension without actually converting it can fail silently or get flagged during verification. Where a portal genuinely asks for PDF — typically for combined certificate uploads rather than the photo, signature, or declaration fields — check the exact field label rather than assuming.
Not checking dimensions and size after processing. A tool that resizes an image doesn't guarantee it matches every requirement — always look at the actual output dimensions and file size shown after processing, not just the settings you selected, before uploading.
A Quick Way to Avoid Most of These
Nearly all of the mistakes above come down to the same root cause: using a generic resize tool that doesn't know an exam's specific requirements, and eyeballing the result instead of confirming it. The exam-specific tools on this site load each exam's dimensions, file size range, and format automatically, so the defaults already match what that exam asks for — you're checking your document against the requirement rather than guessing at it. Start from the full tools list to find your specific exam, or use the document prep checklist for a complete walkthrough of every document type before you begin your application.