Most exam application portals — SSC, IBPS, SBI, NTA, UPSC and every State PSC — accept a photo you take yourself, as long as it follows the rules. You do not need a studio. You need a plain wall, daylight and two minutes. This guide walks through exactly what examiners check and how to get it right the first time.
What you need
- A phone with a rear camera (the rear camera is sharper than the selfie camera).
- A plain white or very light-coloured wall, door or bedsheet.
- A window with daylight, or two lamps.
- Someone to take the photo — or a stack of books to rest the phone on and the camera timer.
Step 1 — Set up the background
Stand about half a metre (2 feet) in front of the wall, not touching it. Standing away from the wall is the single best trick against the dark shadow outline that causes most rejections. If the wall is not white, pin a clean white bedsheet behind you and pull out the creases.
Step 2 — Get the light right
Face a window so daylight falls evenly on your face. Avoid:
- Overhead tube-light only — creates shadows under the eyes and nose.
- A window behind you — your face turns dark and the background burns out.
- Phone flash — causes shine on the forehead and red eyes, and throws a hard shadow on the wall.
If it is evening, place two lamps at 45° on either side of your face at eye level.
Step 3 — Pose and dress
- Look straight into the camera with a neutral expression and your mouth closed.
- Keep both ears visible where possible; push hair away from the eyes.
- Remove caps and sunglasses. Clear spectacles are usually allowed, but tilt them slightly to avoid glare. Religious headwear is generally permitted if the face is fully visible.
- Wear a plain, darker top — it contrasts with the white background. Avoid white clothes.
Step 4 — Frame the shot
Hold the phone at your eye level, about 1–1.5 metres away, and zoom in slightly (1.5×–2×) rather than standing close. Standing close with a wide lens makes the nose look bigger and distorts the face. Include your head and the top of your shoulders, and leave space above the head — you will crop it later.
Take 5–6 shots and pick the sharpest one. Do not use portrait mode, beauty filters or background blur: examiners reject edited photos, and NTA explicitly asks for an un-retouched photo.
Step 5 — Crop and resize to your exam's size
Every exam has its own pixel dimensions and file-size window. For example:
- IBPS / SBI bank exams: 200×230 px, 20–50 KB
- SSC CGL: 275×354 px, 20–50 KB
- NEET / JEE Main: 275×354 px, 10–200 KB (3.5×4.5 cm)
- UPSC: 400×400 px, 20–300 KB
Open your exam in the exam resizer. The crop box is already locked to your exam's shape, so you only drag it so your face is centred with a little space above the head. It then resizes to the exact pixels and compresses into the KB range — all inside your browser. The full list is in the exam size chart.
Final checklist before you upload
- Plain white or light background, no shadow behind the head
- Face evenly lit, eyes open and clearly visible
- No filters, no beauty mode, no background blur
- Exact pixel size and KB range for your exam, saved as JPG
- Photo is recent — most notifications say within the last 3–6 months
Keep the original, un-cropped photo safe. Many exams (NEET, SSB interviews, bank document verification) ask you to bring a printed copy of the same photo later.