Why your exam photo was rejected, and how to fix it

1. The file is too big or too small in KB

This is the most common one. Portals check the file size the moment you upload: a 51 KB photo is refused when the limit is 50 KB, and so is an 8 KB signature when the minimum is 10 KB. Phone photos are usually 2–5 MB, far over. The fix is to compress to a size inside the range rather than just under the maximum; aim for the middle (for 20–50 KB, about 35 KB). If a clean signature is too small, FitMyKB adds invisible padding so it reaches the minimum without changing the picture.

2. The pixel size or shape is wrong

Many forms want an exact size, such as 200 × 230 pixels or 3.5 × 4.5 cm. A photo can be the right number of KB and still be refused because it's 1080 × 1440. Cropping to the right shape first matters: squeezing a tall photo into a square box distorts your face. Centimetre sizes depend on the DPI, so 3.5 × 4.5 cm at 200 DPI is 276 × 354 pixels.

3. It isn't a JPG

Portals almost always want JPG (also written JPEG). iPhones save HEIC by default, screenshots are PNG, and some apps share WEBP. Renaming the file to .jpg doesn't convert it; the portal reads the real format inside. Convert it properly, then check the size again, because a converted file changes size.

4. The background isn't plain white

Exams that ask for a white or light background reject photos taken against a coloured wall, a patterned curtain or a room. A human verifier may catch this weeks later, after you've paid. Take the photo against a plain wall in daylight, or replace the background with white.

5. The face is too small, cut off or unclear

The face should fill most of the photo: roughly two-thirds of the height, with a little space above the head, ears visible and no dark glasses or cap. Group photos cropped down to one person are often too blurred. NTA exams say about 80% of the photo should be your face.

6. The name and date strip is missing

Some exams require your name and the date the photo was taken printed at the bottom of the photo. TNPSC, Kerala PSC and, from 2026, UPSC ask for it (rules checked September 2026). Without the strip, the photo can be rejected at scrutiny even though it uploaded fine.

7. The signature is on grey or shadowed paper, or in capital letters

A signature photographed at night looks grey and blotchy, and after compression it can become unreadable. Sign in your usual running hand, with a dark pen, on plain white paper, and photograph it in daylight. Capital letters are refused by several commissions, and some railway exams accept black ink only.