UPSC, SSC, NEET Photo: One Article to Know Them All

⏱ 5 min read · ExamPhoto

India's competitive exam ecosystem has hundreds of examinations, each run by a different body with its own application portal and its own photo specifications. The specifications are similar enough to cause false confidence — "I know these requirements" — and different enough in detail to cause rejections when applicants assume one exam's specs apply to another.

Here's a consolidated reference for the most commonly-appearing specifications.

UPSC (Civil Services)

The UPSC application typically requires a recent passport-size color photograph on a white background. File format: JPEG. Size: 3.5cm × 4.5cm. Resolution: minimum 200 DPI. File size: 20KB to 300KB (this changes year to year — always verify with the current notification). The photograph should be recent — UPSC guidance typically specifies not more than 3 months old.

SSC (Staff Selection Commission)

SSC exams (CGL, CHSL, CPO, etc.) follow a standardized format: passport-size photographs with white background, 3.5cm × 4.5cm, JPEG format, with file size typically between 20KB and 50KB. SSC is particularly strict about the 50KB limit — images above this threshold are rejected at upload time.

NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)

NEET requires a passport photo with the student's name and date written on a white background below the photograph. The NEET portal typically requires 10KB to 200KB JPEG. The writing-below-photo requirement is unique to NEET and frequently missed by applicants who use standard passport photos.

Check the official notification for the current year's exam for the exact specifications. Requirements update annually, and third-party summaries (including this one) may be slightly out of date.

The Universal Safe Spec

For applicants preparing across multiple exams, a photo at 3.5cm × 4.5cm (275 × 354 pixels at 200 DPI), pure white background, JPEG format, compressed to 40-50KB typically satisfies the requirements of most major Indian exam portals. The NEET-specific name writing must be added separately for that specific exam.