Some exam forms want your name and the date the photo was taken shown on the photo itself, usually in a white strip below your face. Among the notices we track, HSSC CET 2026, Haryana Police Constable 2026 and MP Police Constable 2026 ask for it; the SSC, railway and bank forms we track do not.
Which forms ask for it
| Exam and notice | What it says | Size given? |
|---|---|---|
| HSSC CET 2026 (Advt 05/2026, clause 8.5; Advt 06/2026 says the same) | Recent colour photo, white background, your name and the date the photo was taken clearly shown | No KB or pixel size |
| Haryana Police Constable (HSSC Advt 01/2026) | Latest scanned colour photo, white background, name and date clearly written on it | No size given |
| MP Police Constable 2026 (MPESB rule book) | Colour photo pasted on the board's proforma: white background, both ears visible, not a Polaroid, not older than 3 months, name and date printed on it | No KB or pixel size for the scanned sheet |
If your exam is not here, read the photo section of its notice. If it does not mention a name or date, do not add one. An extra strip changes the shape of the photo and can make your face too small.
What to write
- Name: exactly as you write it in the application form. The spelling should match.
- Date: the day the photo was taken, not the day you fill the form. Write it in full, day-month-year, so it cannot be misread.
- Text: dark letters on a white strip, large enough to read when the photo is shown small.
Keep the photo itself recent. MPESB says not older than 3 months, and an old photo with today's date added is not what the boards ask for.
How to make one
- Take a fresh photo against a plain white wall in daylight, with your face and both ears clearly visible.
- Crop it to a passport shape with the face centred.
- Add a white strip at the bottom and type your name and the photo date in it. Do not cover your chin or shoulders.
- Save as JPG and check that the text is readable at the size the form shows.
MP Police works differently: you print the board's proforma, paste a printed photo that already shows your name and date, sign it, write the lines asked for and scan the whole sheet as one JPG. MPESB also says to keep 5 copies of the photo.
Common mistakes
- Writing the name by hand on a printed photo so the ink smudges or cannot be read.
- Putting the text over the face or over the background behind the head.
- Using the date of the form instead of the date of the photo.
- Making the strip so tall that the face becomes tiny.
What to do next
Make the strip with photo with name and date, turn a coloured wall white with the background changer, and check your exam page, for example HSSC CET.