ExamKitUPSC Civil Services: photo and signature rules (2026 notice)
UPSC’s Civil Services 2026 notice asks you to upload a photograph and also capture a live photo in the Common Application Form. The signature image is unusual: you sign three times, one below the other, on plain white paper in black ink, and upload that as one image.
The CSE notice does not give file sizes. UPSC’s ESE 2027 notice, which uses the same online portal, says .jpg files of 20-300 KB each. Current notices do not state pixel sizes, so our tool uses its own default and labels it clearly.
Partly verified Rules verified; pixel sizes not stated in current notices
Official sources: UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (04-02-2026) (opens official PDF); UPSC Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG (same online portal as CSE) (16-09-2026) (opens official PDF). Last checked 2 November 2026.
Upload rules
| Item | Format | Pixel size | File size | Other rules | Status | Where in the notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | .jpg | Not stated (not verified) Tool default: 350 × 450 px is our default; the legacy OTR FAQ mentioned 350-1000 px, but current notices give no pixel size — our default, not from the notice. | 20-300 KB Tool aims for 20,480-300,000 bytes. |
| Verified (indirect) | CSE 2026 Note 2; ESE 2027 “Salient features” item 4 |
| Signature (three times) | .jpg | Not stated (not verified) Tool default: 400 × 400 px is our default — our default, not from the notice. | 20-300 KB Tool aims for 20,480-300,000 bytes. |
| Verified (indirect) | CSE 2026 Note 3; size from ESE 2027 item 4 |
| Pixel size | — | Not stated | — |
| Not verified | Legacy OTR FAQ (old portal) (UPSC legacy OTR portal FAQ (old portal; context only)) |
| Name and date printed on the photo; photo age | — | — | — |
| Not verified | — |
Source: UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (04-02-2026) (opens official PDF); UPSC Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG (same online portal as CSE) (16-09-2026) (opens official PDF) · Last checked 02-11-2026
Notices, dates and age limits
UPSC CSE 2026 (Notice 05/2026-CSE) Verified
Source: UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (04-02-2026) (opens official PDF) · Last checked 02-11-2026
- Notice dated: 04-02-2026
- Applications closed: 24-02-2026 6 PM
Age limit
- UPSC CSE 2026 – age 21-32: as on 01-08-2026, born 02-08-1994 to 01-08-2005 (both dates included). Check your date of birth
The CSE 2027 notice is expected in early 2027; this page will be re-checked then.
Relaxations of the upper age limit for some categories are listed in each notice.
Tips for UPSC Civil Services
- Sign three times on one sheet, one below the other, with a black pen. Leave space between the signatures so they do not touch.
- Keep the file between 20 and 300 KB; the tool aims inside that range and shows the exact size.
- Because pixel sizes are not stated in the current notices, check the form’s on-screen instructions before you upload.
Before you upload
Rules can change. Check the official notice before you upload. अपलोड करने से पहले आधिकारिक नोटिस ज़रूर देखें। ExamKit is not affiliated with SSC, RRB, IBPS, SBI, UPSC, NTA, India Post or any government body. We copy the upload rules from official notices for convenience and link to them. We are not responsible for rejected applications.
Status meanings: Verified = read directly in the official document; Verified (indirect) = seen only through a search-engine excerpt of the official document, to be re-checked; Not verified = no official source read; Conflict = two official places disagree.