NDA (National Defence Academy) Photo & Signature Size
The NDA & NA examination recruits unmarried candidates straight out of school into the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy, so most applicants are uploading an identity photograph for the first time. UPSC runs the upload through its common One Time Registration portal, whose instructions apply "for any examination": a JPG photograph of 20–200 KB with about 75% face coverage, and a separate JPG holding three signatures stacked vertically at 20–100 KB and 350–500 pixels. No pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, DPI or name/date strip are specified for the photograph.
Reviewed by Jaspal Kumar, easyPhoto developer
Photo requirement
- File size
- 20–200 KB
- Dimensions
- —
- Format
- JPG
Signature requirement
- File size
- 20–100 KB
- Dimensions
- —
- Format
- JPG
- Ink
- Black ink on plain white paper
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A clear, front-facing photo works best
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Before you upload
Read the NDA and CDS photo and signature guide.
Application-specific notes for NDA
- A live photograph capture is mandatory before the application can be submitted, taken through the device camera or by scanning a QR code with a phone. The prepared photograph you upload does not replace it.
- UPSC checks face coverage rather than only file size: the photograph must show about 75% face coverage, and the instruction sheet prints rejected samples whose only fault is that the face is too small in the frame. The file is jpg, saved as photo, on a plain white background, with the head centred and both ears visible.
- The don'ts are explicit: no uniform in the photograph, no dark or coloured glasses, no shadow on the face or the background, no hair across the eyes, and the photograph is not to be signed.
- The photograph and the live capture are separate fields on the form and both must be completed. Candidates who prepare a careful upload and then rush the live capture end up with two images that do not resemble each other, which is the mismatch the examiner is looking for at the centre.
About this exam
NDA is conducted by UPSC through the upsconline.nic.in portal, and the portal's photo and signature instructions apply to every UPSC examination rather than giving NDA its own band. A live photograph is also captured during the application and matched against the uploaded photo. The signature upload must show the candidate's signature three times vertically on one plain-white image.
NDA uses the common UPSC upload workflow
The National Defence Academy application does not publish a separate NDA-only image band. UPSC's portal instructions apply to this examination: photograph 20–200 KB, signature 20–100 KB, and JPG files. The photo has no published fixed pixel dimensions or name-and-date strip.
Prepare the NDA live-photo and triple-signature steps
During the NDA application, UPSC also captures a live photograph to compare with the uploaded portrait. The signature file is one image showing the same signature three times vertically on plain white paper. Select NDA in your saved filenames so these assets are not confused with a separate CDS application using the same UPSC bands.