Photo rules for online exam and recruitment forms
Updated 11 October 2026
Photo resizer for exam forms →
Every recruitment board and exam body publishes its own photo instructions, and those instructions are what count. That said, the same rules appear again and again across notices from central and state bodies, banks and universities. Knowing the common pattern helps you take one good photo that will need only resizing for each form. Always read your own notice first; for exam-wise sizes see our exams page.
Rules most notices commonly state
Recent photograph
Notices usually ask for a recent photo, often specifying that it should not be older than a few months, and some also ask that you look the same at the exam centre. Do not reuse a school photo from years ago. If the photo and your appearance on exam day differ greatly (for example a beard grown or removed), some notices ask you to carry extra photos or explain.
Colour photo, plain light background
Most forms want a colour photo against a plain white or light-coloured background. Avoid patterned walls, curtains, doors and outdoor scenes. A plain white wall in daylight works well. If the only photo you have has a busy background, our background changer can put plain white behind you on your phone; check first that your notice does not ask for an unedited photo.
Face clearly visible and centred
- Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open.
- The face should fill most of the frame. Notices that mention a figure commonly ask for the face to cover roughly 50% to 80% of the photo; follow the exact number in your notice if one is given.
- Both ears and the full face from top of hair to chin should normally be visible, without the head being cut off.
- No shadows across the face; light should be even.
Spectacles, caps and head coverings
Caps, hats and dark glasses are generally not allowed. Many notices allow regular spectacles if you wear them every day, provided there is no glare on the lenses, but some recent notices ask candidates not to wear them in the photo. Religious head coverings are commonly allowed if the face is fully visible. Check your notice.
No selfies, filters or edited photos
Selfies taken at arm's length distort the face (the nose looks bigger and the face looks tilted). Beauty filters, background-blur portrait modes and heavy editing can make the photo unacceptable, and some notices explicitly reject them. Ask someone else to take the photo from about 1 to 1.5 metres away, at eye level.
No photo of a photo
Scanning a printed photo is usually fine if it is sharp. Photographing a printed photo with your phone often adds glare, tilt and blur. If you must, keep the print flat and in good, indirect light.
Technical requirements
These vary the most between notices, so always copy them from the notice:
| Item | What notices usually specify |
|---|---|
| Format | JPG/JPEG in most cases |
| File size | A range in KB, for example a minimum and a maximum |
| Dimensions | Pixels, or cm such as 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Extras | Sometimes name and date of photo printed below |
If the notice gives cm, read our pixels and DPI guide. If it asks for name and date on the photo, see adding name and date.
Worked example: one photo, several forms
Take one good photo on a white wall in daylight, saved as JPEG. Then create versions for each form from that same original:
- Form A asks for 200 × 230 px, 20 to 50 KB: resize and compress to about 40 KB.
- Form B asks for 3.5 × 4.5 cm, under 100 KB: at 200 DPI that is 276 × 354 px, compress to about 80 KB.
- Form C asks for 10 to 20 KB: resize smaller and compress to about 16 KB.
Always work from the original, not from an already-compressed copy, to avoid repeated quality loss.
Checklist before you upload
- Recent, colour, taken by someone else, not a selfie.
- Plain white or light background, even lighting, no shadows.
- Face straight, centred, eyes open, filling most of the frame.
- No cap or dark glasses; spectacles only if your notice allows them and without glare.
- No filters, stickers or background blur.
- Format, dimensions and KB range exactly as in the notice, with a small safety margin.
- Preview the uploaded photo on the form before final submission.
- Keep the original and a few printed copies; you may need them at the exam centre or for document verification.
When you are ready, use Resize Photo to produce the exact size.
Questions people ask
- Can I upload a selfie for a government exam form?
- It is best not to. Selfies distort the face and many notices ask for a proper front-facing photograph, so have someone else take it from about a metre away.
- Can I wear spectacles in my exam photo?
- It depends on the notice. Many allow everyday spectacles without glare, but some recent notices ask candidates to remove them, so check yours.
- Which background colour is accepted?
- Most notices ask for a plain white or light-coloured background. Avoid patterns, doors and outdoor scenes.
- How recent should the photo be?
- Notices usually ask for a recent photo, and some give a limit of a few months. Your appearance should match how you look on exam day.
- Can I use a black and white photo?
- Most current online forms ask for a colour photo. Use black and white only if your notice specifically allows it.