Every year, millions of candidates fill out online application forms for UPSC Civil Services, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, and other government exams — only to get stuck at the photo and signature upload step. The portal rejects the file because it's "too large" or "not in the correct format." This guide explains exactly what size is required and how to compress your image in under 60 seconds, for free, without installing any software.
Compress your photo or signature right now
Free · No upload · Works on mobile · Instant downloadThe table below summarises the most commonly required specifications. Always verify with the official notification for the current recruitment cycle, as requirements can change.
| Exam | Photo Size | Photo Dimensions | Signature Size | Signature Dimensions | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPSC Civil Services (IAS/IPS) | 3 KB – 300 KB | 200 × 230 px | 1 KB – 300 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| SSC CGL | 20 KB – 50 KB | 100 × 120 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| SSC CHSL | 20 KB – 50 KB | 100 × 120 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| SSC MTS | 20 KB – 50 KB | 100 × 120 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| IBPS PO | 20 KB – 50 KB | 200 × 230 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| IBPS Clerk | 20 KB – 50 KB | 200 × 230 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| IBPS RRB (Officer / Assistant) | 20 KB – 50 KB | 200 × 230 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| SBI PO / Clerk | 20 KB – 50 KB | 200 × 230 px | 10 KB – 20 KB | 140 × 60 px | JPEG |
| RRB NTPC / Group D | 20 KB – 50 KB | 132 × 170 px | 10 KB – 40 KB | 132 × 33 px | JPEG |
The most common requirement for SSC and IBPS exams is a photograph between 20 KB and 50 KB. Here's how to do it in under a minute:
Go to compressto200kb.com on your phone or computer. No sign-up or installation needed.
Click the 50 KB preset button at the top of the tool. This tells the compressor to reduce your file to under 50 KB — safely within the 20–50 KB range required by SSC and IBPS portals.
Click Select Images and choose your passport-size photo from your phone gallery or computer. The tool accepts JPG, PNG, and WEBP files.
The tool compresses your photo instantly. Click ⬇ Download to save the file. The downloaded file will be a JPEG (.jpg) — the format required by all government exam portals.
Switch the target to 20 KB (or type a custom value like 15 KB), then upload your signature image and download the compressed version.
UPSC has a more generous limit — up to 300 KB for both the photograph and signature. However, many candidates still face issues because their phone camera produces files of 2–5 MB. Here's the quick fix:
The default preset on this tool is 200 KB, which is well within UPSC's 300 KB limit and gives you a comfortable margin. You can also type 280 in the custom KB field if you want to stay closer to the maximum.
Upload your photo, wait for compression (usually under 2 seconds), and download the result. The output is a JPEG file ready for the UPSC online application portal.
Government exam portals in India are built to handle millions of simultaneous applications. Strict file size limits (often 20–50 KB) help keep server storage costs low and ensure the portal remains fast even under heavy load. The limits were set years ago when storage was more expensive, and many portals have not updated them since.
The practical consequence for you as a candidate: a photo taken on a modern smartphone is typically 2–8 MB — 40 to 160 times larger than the portal allows. You need to compress it before uploading.
This is a valid concern. Your passport-size photo and signature are sensitive documents. With this tool, your images never leave your device. All compression happens inside your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API — no file is ever sent to any server. You can verify this by turning off your internet connection after the page loads: the tool will still work perfectly.
Your photo is too large. Use this tool to compress it to the required KB range. For SSC/IBPS, target 40–45 KB. For UPSC, target 200–250 KB.
The portal requires JPEG. If you have a PNG or WEBP file, upload it to this tool — the output is always a JPEG (.jpg) file, regardless of the input format.
This tool does not change pixel dimensions. You need to resize your photo to the required dimensions (e.g., 200×230 px) using a photo editor before compressing. On Android, use the built-in Gallery editor. On iPhone, use the Photos app crop tool or a free app like Snapseed.
Government portals typically require a plain white background. This is a photography requirement — you need to take the photo against a white wall or use a background removal app. Once you have the correct photo, use this tool to compress it to the required size.
Compressing your photo and signature for UPSC, SSC, or IBPS applications takes less than a minute with the right tool. The key points to remember: most exams require JPEG format; SSC and IBPS typically require 20–50 KB for photos and 10–20 KB for signatures; UPSC allows up to 300 KB. Use the preset buttons on this tool to hit the exact target, and always check the official notification for the current cycle before submitting your application.
Ready to compress your photo?
Select 50 KB for SSC/IBPS · 200 KB for UPSC · Custom for any other exam