Most photo rejections come from a few simple mistakes: the file is outside the KB range, the photo breaks a rule in the notice (background, face size, cap or glasses), or the live photo does not match you. Each of these is easy to check before you submit, if you read the upload section of your own notice first.
Below are the reasons that come up again and again, with examples from official notices.
The file size or format is wrong
The portal checks the file before anything else. If your photo is 55 KB and the limit is 50 KB, it will not upload, and a file below the minimum can be refused too.
- IBPS PO 2026: 200 × 230 px is the preferred photo size, but the 20–50 KB range is the hard limit. The signature must be 10–20 KB.
- SSC CGL 2026: signature 10–20 KB, JPG or JPEG only.
- CTET 2026: photo 10–100 KB, signature 3–30 KB.
Save the file as JPG unless the notice says otherwise. A PNG file that has only been renamed to .jpg is still a PNG inside and may fail.
The photo itself breaks a rule
A photo can pass the size check and still be rejected later, when someone looks at it. The notices list what they do not accept:
- Background: most ask for a plain white or light background. IBPS PO 2026 asks for a light, preferably white, one.
- Face too small: UPSC CSE 2026 wants the face to cover at least 75% of the photo, with both ear lobes visible. India Post GDS 2026 asks for the face to fill 70–80% of the picture.
- Cap, hat or dark glasses: not allowed in IBPS PO 2026; religious headwear is fine if it does not cover the face.
- Old photo: Bihar Police Constable (CSBC Advt 02/2026) wants a colour photo taken within the last 2 months.
- Selfie or scanned print: India Post GDS 2026 says not to upload a scanned photo or a selfie.
Shadows, glare on glasses and a blurred face are not named in every notice, but they make the photo hard to check, so avoid them anyway.
Live photo problems
Many forms now take your photo through the camera instead of a file. SSC CGL 2026, SSC CHSL 2026 and RRB NTPC (CEN 06/2026) all work this way, and SSC says that photographing an existing photo leads to rejection. UPSC CSE 2026 matches a live photo against your uploaded photo, and a mismatch blocks the application. So the uploaded photo must be recent and look like you today.
Signature mistakes
Signatures are rejected more often than people expect:
- Capital letters: IBPS PO 2026 does not accept a signature in CAPITAL LETTERS, and RRB Group D (CEN 09/2025) wants running, joined handwriting.
- Wrong ink or background: RRB Group D (CEN 09/2025) names a non-white background, non-black ink, poor resolution and a partial signature as reasons for rejection.
- Too small or blurred: SSC CGL 2026 rejects blurred or miniature signatures.
- Not yours: Bihar Police Constable (Advt 02/2026) rejects a missing photo or signature, or one that belongs to someone else.
A quick check before you submit
- Open the upload section of your notice and note the pixel size, KB range and format.
- Check that your file meets all three.
- Look at the photo at full size: face clear, eyes open, plain background, no shadow.
- Look at the signature: dark, sharp, fully inside the image, not in capitals.
- Keep prints of the same photo. SBI Junior Associates 2026, for example, asks you to keep about 8 prints for later stages.
What to do next
Put your file through the file checker to see its pixel size and KB, fix the size with the photo resizer, and read the full list in form rejection reasons.