UPSC CSE 2026 added two requirements that no previous cycle had: a strict 10-day recency rule (your photo must have been taken within 10 days of the application window opening) and a live webcam matching step where the portal captures your face during form fill and checks it against the uploaded file. CSE 2026 prelims took place on 24 May 2026; Mains begins 21 August 2026. Whether you're preparing a Mains Detailed Application Form or planning for the 2027 cycle, here are the confirmed specs and how to get both files right in one pass.
Quick answer
- Photo: 20–300 KB, JPG, minimum 350 × 350 px square, plain white background, taken within 10 days of the application window opening.
- Required: your full name and date of photograph printed at the bottom of the image — mandatory.
- Signature: sign your name three times vertically on a single plain white sheet in black ink — one file upload, three signatures.
- Upload at the UPSC OTR portal: upsconline.nic.in.
What are the UPSC CSE photo and signature specs for 2026?
UPSC CSE uses the same OTR (One-Time Registration) portal as NDA and CDS. The specs below are confirmed across the UPSC OTR portal instructions and the 2026 notification released by UPSC on 4 February 2026 (933 vacancies; prelims 24 May, Mains from 21 August 2026).
| Field | Photo | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Format | JPG / JPEG only | JPG / JPEG only |
| File size | 20–300 KB | 20–300 KB |
| Min dimensions | 350 × 350 px (square) | 350 × 350 px |
| Max dimensions | 1,000 × 1,000 px | 1,000 × 1,000 px |
| Background | Plain white | White paper, clean |
| Name + date on image | Mandatory at bottom | — |
| Face coverage | Min 75% of frame | — |
| Spectacles | Banned | — |
| Recency | Within 10 days of application open | — |
| Ink colour | — | Black (recommended) |
| Signature count | — | Three, written vertically on one sheet |
A note on the photo ceiling: some coaching sources cite 200 KB as the maximum. That figure comes from pre-OTR notifications. The UPSC OTR portal's own instructions specify 300 KB, consistent with the NDA/CDS 2026 notifications that use the same portal. Confirm the figure in the official notification PDF at upsc.gov.in before applying.
What is the UPSC CSE live photo matching requirement?
In the 2026 application cycle, UPSC introduced a live webcam step during form submission. The portal activates your webcam and takes a live photo of you, then checks whether your face matches the photo uploaded to your OTR profile. If the system flags a mismatch — different hairstyle, a photo from a previous cycle, or poor lighting during webcam capture — the submission is flagged.
What this means in practice: you cannot use a photo that looks different from how you look today. The uploaded photo must be fresh enough to match the face the webcam will see during form fill. Set up your white background and lighting before opening the form session, not after. Once the webcam check starts, there's no easy way to pause it.
The 10-day recency rule is the formal expression of this: your photo must have been taken within 10 days of the application window opening. For CSE 2026, that meant on or after 25 January 2026 (10 days before 4 February). A compliant NDA photo from December 2025 would fail this check even though it was under 6 months old.
Does UPSC CSE require name and date on the photo?
Yes — mandatory for CSE, just as for NDA and CDS. Your full name and the date the photograph was taken must appear as printed text at the bottom of the image file. This is added digitally before uploading; it is not handwritten on the back of a physical print.
Use the photo-with-name-date tool to add a clean strip at the bottom — it accepts the photo, takes your name and the date in DD/MM/YYYY format, and outputs a correctly formatted JPG. Do this step before running the image through the UPSC photo resizer, so the text is already in the file when dimensions and KB are finalised. For the full step-by-step guide, see how to add name and date on an exam photo.
Why does UPSC CSE require three signatures — and how do you prepare them?
UPSC requires candidates to write their signature three times on a single sheet of white paper, with the three signatures arranged vertically — one below the other. You photograph or scan this one sheet and upload it as a single image file. All three must be in black ink, cursive or running hand, and consistent with each other. The portal does not accept three separate files.
UPSC uses all three as verification references throughout the selection process — at the examination hall, document verification, and the medical board. Signatures that look very different from each other get flagged. Prepare them in one sitting so the style is consistent.
- Paper: plain white A4, no lines, no watermarks.
- Sign three times vertically in black ink, cursive hand, with a small gap — roughly 4–5 cm per signature — between each.
- Photograph flat in even overhead light. Check that no shadow falls across any of the three signatures.
- Upload the single image through the UPSC signature resizer. It cleans the paper background and outputs a JPG inside the 20–300 KB band.
How does UPSC CSE compare to NDA and CDS for photo requirements?
All three use the same UPSC OTR portal, so the core specs are identical. The differences show up in recency and verification:
| Requirement | CSE (IAS) | NDA | CDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| File size | 20–300 KB | 20–300 KB | 20–300 KB |
| Photo shape | Square (350 × 350 min) | Square (350 × 350 min) | Square (350 × 350 min) |
| Name + date on photo | Mandatory | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Recency rule | 10 days from application open | Within 6 months | 10 days from application open |
| Live webcam matching | Yes (2026 new) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Signature count | Three (one sheet) | One | One |
| Ink colour | Black (recommended) | Black or blue | Black or blue |
For a cross-applicant, the practical difference is recency. An NDA photo taken six months ago passes NDA but fails CSE's 10-day rule. Take a fresh photo specifically for CSE. For the full NDA and CDS photo guide, see the NDA & CDS photo and signature guide.
What are the most common UPSC CSE photo rejection reasons?
The UPSC portal returns a generic error without naming the failed check. These are the causes most worth eliminating before uploading:
| Rejection cause | The fix |
|---|---|
| Name and date missing | Add using the photo-with-name-date tool before sizing — do this step first |
| Photo older than 10 days | Take a fresh photo — do not reuse a photo from a previous exam cycle or a months-old portfolio shot |
| Portrait crop (wrong dimensions) | Use the UPSC photo resizer — outputs a correct square crop at 350 px or larger |
| File above 300 KB | Compress with the UPSC photo resizer — most phone photos are 2–5 MB |
| File below 20 KB | The resizer targets the full 20–300 KB band; compressing to a tiny size fails the floor check |
| Non-white background | Use the white background tool first, then add name/date, then resize |
| Spectacles visible | Retake without glasses — prescription lenses are not exempt |
| Signature: fewer than three / inconsistent style | Write all three on one sheet in one sitting — same ink, same style, consistent size; photograph as one image |
For the full breakdown of rejection patterns across all Indian exam portals, see why exam photos and signatures get rejected.
How to prepare your UPSC CSE photo and signature — complete workflow
For the photo, in this order:
- Take a fresh photo within 10 days of the application window opening — plain white wall, no glasses, formal attire, face filling at least 75% of the frame.
- Add name and date. Open the photo-with-name-date tool, enter your name and the photo date in DD/MM/YYYY format. Download the result.
- Resize for UPSC. Run the image through the UPSC photo resizer. It outputs a square JPG at 350 px or larger, inside the 20–300 KB band.
- Save as
photo.jpg. The UPSC portal expects this filename.
For the signature:
- Sign three times vertically on a single plain white A4 sheet in black ink, cursive hand, with even spacing between each.
- Photograph flat in even light — no shadow should fall across any of the three signatures.
- Run through the UPSC signature resizer. It cleans the background and compresses to the 20–300 KB band. Nothing leaves your browser.
For UPSC-specific requirement details and links to the official notification PDFs, see the exam requirements directory. For a side-by-side comparison of all major exam specs, see the photo and signature size guide for all exams.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UPSC CSE photo size the same as NDA and CDS?
Yes — all three use the same UPSC OTR portal: 20–300 KB, JPG, minimum 350×350 px square, plain white, name and date at the bottom. The key difference is recency: CSE requires the photo within 10 days of the application window opening. NDA allows up to 6 months; CDS matches CSE at 10 days.
Why does UPSC CSE require three signatures?
UPSC uses all three signatures as identity verification references throughout the selection process — at the examination hall, document verification, and the medical board. Write all three on a single plain white sheet in black ink, arranged vertically. Upload the one image file containing all three.
What is the 10-day recency rule for UPSC CSE photos?
Your uploaded photo must have been taken within 10 days of the date the application window opened. For CSE 2026 (window opened 4 February 2026), the photo date had to be on or after 25 January 2026. A photo from a previous exam cycle fails this check even if it looks recent.
Can I reuse my Prelims photo for the UPSC Mains DAF?
The Mains Detailed Application Form requires a photo that matches your Prelims application photo and your current appearance. If your appearance has changed since the Prelims application, take a fresh photo. Confirm the exact DAF photo requirements in the official UPSC Mains notification at upsc.gov.in.
My UPSC CSE photo is 220 KB — will it be accepted?
Yes, 220 KB falls inside the 20–300 KB band. Some older coaching-site guides cite 200 KB as the ceiling — that figure comes from pre-OTR notifications. The current UPSC OTR portal standard is 300 KB. Always confirm in the official notification before submitting.