SSC Photo and Signature Size — CGL, CHSL, MTS Upload Requirements

SSC Photograph and Signature Upload Requirements

The Staff Selection Commission uses the same photograph and signature specification across CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD Constable and its other recruitments. Both files are uploaded separately and each has its own size window.

Always confirm against the current notification. Exam boards revise upload rules between cycles. The figures below reflect the requirements published for the most recent cycle at the time of writing — treat them as a starting point and check the official notice or the upload page itself before you submit.

The specification

The signature box on the SSC instruction sheet is designed to be cut out and signed inside. The Commission's own guidance asks that the signature occupy at least 80% of that box — a small signature floating in white space is a documented reason for rejection.

How to hit the size limit without wrecking the photo

The common mistake is dragging a quality slider down until the file is small enough. That produces a blurred, blocky image that fails visual verification even when the file size passes. Do it in this order instead:

1. Set the pixel dimensions first. A phone photo is often 4000 × 3000 px. Resizing to 200 × 230 px for the photograph, 140 × 60 px for the signature removes the vast majority of the file weight before any compression is applied, and it does so without introducing artefacts.
2. Then compress to the target. With the resolution already correct, reaching 20–50 KB needs only mild compression, so the face stays sharp.
3. Check the lower bound too. Portals reject files that are under the minimum as often as over the maximum. If the result lands below 20 KB, raise the quality rather than leaving it.

Photograph the signature or scan it on plain white paper in good light. A grey or shadowed background forces the compressor to spend bytes describing noise instead of the strokes themselves.

Signature rules that cause most SSC rejections

• Running handwriting only. A signature in block capitals is rejected.
• Black ink on white paper. Blue ink and tinted paper both cause problems at verification.
• Fill the box. Aim for roughly 80% occupancy, as the official instructions specify.
• Scan at 300 DPI where possible, then resize down. A low-resolution phone snap of a signature loses stroke definition once compressed to 10–20 KB.

The photograph must be recent, in colour, front-facing, against a light background, with the face occupying most of the frame. Check the current notification for whether a date stamp is required — SSC has required one in some cycles.

Every step runs inside your browser through WebAssembly. Your photograph and signature — both documents that identify you — are never uploaded to a server, never stored, and never seen by anyone but you. For an application containing your name, date of birth and photograph, that matters more than convenience.