Do I still upload a photo for SSC CGL?

No. SSC's application module on ssc.gov.in captures your photograph live through your webcam or phone camera. Uploading an old or pre-existing photograph is not allowed and leads to rejection. This is the single biggest change from how SSC forms used to work, and it is why the photo-resizing advice you will find on older sites no longer applies to SSC.

What is the SSC CGL signature size limit?

The signature is uploaded as a JPEG/JPG between 10 KB and 20 KB. That is a narrow band — much tighter than most exams — so compressing to a target rather than guessing at quality settings matters. Use the BharatTools Image Compressor with a 20 KB target, then check the result is not under 10 KB.

What are the signature dimensions for SSC?

SSC's own instructions have long specified an image of about 6.0 cm (width) × 2.0 cm (height); many coaching sites quote 4.0 cm × 2.0 cm instead. What the portal actually enforces is the 10–20 KB JPEG limit and legibility. Crop tightly around the signature at roughly a 3:1 landscape shape, keep it sharp, and you satisfy every version of the rule.

Why should I choose Aadhaar authentication?

Because it removes a whole category of rejection. SSC has stated that applications of candidates who opt for Aadhaar authentication will not be rejected on the ground that the photograph or signature does not meet prescribed standards, and that such candidates need not carry a recent colour photograph or original photo ID to the exam venue. If you have Aadhaar and it matches your Class 10 records, use it.

My old SSC login doesn't work. What happened?

SSC moved to a new website, ssc.gov.in, and has clarified that OTR credentials from the previous website do not carry over. You need to complete a fresh One Time Registration on the new portal. Do it before a notification opens rather than on the last day, when the portal is at its busiest.

How do I take a good live photo?

Sit facing a window or a lamp so the light falls on your face rather than behind you — backlighting turns your face into a silhouette. Put the camera at eye level, not below. Use a plain wall as the background. Remove your cap, mask and spectacles. Fill the guide box on screen: not so close that your ears are cut off, not so far that your face is a small patch.

What is the SSC CGL application fee?

₹100 for General and OBC candidates. Women candidates, and candidates belonging to SC, ST, PwBD and eligible ex-servicemen categories, are exempt from the fee. Payment is online through BHIM UPI, net banking or a debit/credit card. Check the current notice for this cycle's figure before you pay.

Are my documents uploaded to BharatTools' servers?

No. Every BharatTools tool runs entirely in your browser. Your signature scan and certificate PDFs never leave your device — open DevTools and watch the Network tab while you compress and you will see no request carrying your file. We don't see it, don't store it, and don't need to.

How to Fill the SSC CGL Application Form

OTR on ssc.gov.in, Aadhaar authentication, the live photo capture that replaced photo upload, the 10–20 KB signature, and the ₹100 fee — in order, with the traps marked.

Updated August 2026

Read this first: SSC no longer accepts an uploaded photograph

The application module on ssc.gov.in captures your photo live, through your webcam or phone camera. You cannot upload a studio photo, and using a pre-captured image is grounds for rejection. Most SSC “photo resizer” guides online are written against the old rules. The signature is still an upload — that part below still matters.

What you'll need before you start

Class 10 marksheet— for date of birth, roll number, and the exact spelling of your name and your parents' names.
Aadhaar — with the same name and date of birth as your Class 10 records. Fix any mismatch before you register, not during.
A device with a working camera — the photograph is captured live. A phone camera is usually better than a laptop webcam.
Signature on plain white paper — black ink pen, scanned or photographed, saved as JPG between 10 KB and 20 KB.
Graduation details— CGL requires a bachelor's degree; keep the university, year and roll number to hand.
Category / PwBD / ex-serviceman certificates — as PDFs, if you are claiming a relaxation or a fee exemption.
UPI / debit card / net banking — ₹100 for General and OBC; women, SC, ST, PwBD and eligible ex-servicemen pay nothing.

SSC CGL photograph and signature rules

One is captured, one is uploaded. Treat them as two different problems.

Field	Photograph	Signature
How it's provided	Captured live in the portal	Uploaded as a file
Format	JPEG, produced by the portal	JPEG / JPG
File size	Not applicable	10 KB – 20 KB
Dimensions	Set by the capture box on screen	About 6.0 cm × 2.0 cm
Background / paper	Plain, well lit	Plain white paper
Not allowed	Cap, mask, spectacles; any stored photo	Blurred or miniature signatures

Visually handicapped candidates are permitted to upload a thumb impression in place of a signature.

Five steps to submit the form

Step 1 — Complete One Time Registration on ssc.gov.in

OTR is a separate, one-off step before any SSC exam application. You create a single profile on ssc.gov.inand reuse it for every SSC exam afterwards. Enter your name, your father's and mother's names, date of birth, Class 10 roll number, mobile number and email — exactly as on your Class 10 marksheet. Verify the mobile and email by OTP, then log in and complete the remaining profile fields: nationality, category, a visible identification mark, and your permanent and present addresses.

If you registered with SSC years ago and your login fails, that is expected. SSC has confirmed that credentials from the old website do not work on the new portal. Complete a fresh OTR. Do it before a notification opens — on the last day, the portal is slowest and there is no room to fix a mismatch.

Step 1 of 5

Tools used in this guide

Image Compressor · 20 KB

Land the signature inside SSC's narrow 10–20 KB band.

Signature Maker

Draw a signature and download a clean JPG on white. No scanner needed.

Image Cropper

Trim the paper away so the bytes go on the ink, not the background.

Image Rotate & Flip

Fix a sideways scan permanently, not just in your gallery app.

JPG / Image to PDF

Turn category or PwBD certificate scans into a single PDF.

PDF Compressor

Shrink a certificate PDF to fit the portal's upload cap.

Why not just use a free “SSC signature resizer” site?

Because your signature is the one document you can never reissue. Most resizer sites upload it to a server, and what happens to it afterwards is not something you can verify. Every tool above runs locally in your browser — open the DevTools Network tab while you compress and you will see no request carrying your file. If you need to move a scan from your phone to a cyber café, use Quick Send rather than WhatsApp: it is peer-to-peer and stores nothing.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to prepare your signature?

Crop it tight, then hit the 10–20 KB band exactly — both in your browser, in under a minute.

Compress signature to 20 KB →Draw a signature instead

Based on SSC's published application instructions and the current CGL notice. Updated August 2026. SSC revises its process between cycles — the move to ssc.gov.in and to live photo capture are both recent — so always read the notice for the cycle you are applying in at ssc.gov.in before submitting. More form guides.