There is no RRB NTPC photo file to prepare
Railway Recruitment Boards captures your photograph inside the application form itself, so the photo sizes still quoted in older guides describe a process that no longer exists. What you do prepare is the signature, and that is where applications actually get stuck: a phone photo of a signature runs to a few megabytes, far above the ceiling below.
| Document | Dimensions | File size | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| SignatureSigned on white paper and scanned at a minimum of 100 DPI, centred within the 35 by 20 mm box on the form. Clear, legible and entirely visible, and not in disjoined letters. It is checked against you at the computer-based test. | 3.5 × 2.0 cm box (350 × 200 px) | 30–49 KB | JPEG |
All Railway Recruitment Board applications go through one central portal at rrbapply.gov.in, and the upload rules are the same across their Centralised Employment Notices, so the signature you prepare here serves the other RRB recruitments too.
The same requirements apply to
The files you prepare here are the same ones accepted for:
- RRB NTPC Graduate, CEN 06/2025
- RRB NTPC Under Graduate, CEN 07/2025
- RRB ALP
- RRB Technician
- RRB Level 1
- RRB JE
If you have already registered for one of these, the photograph and signature on your profile carry over and you do not need to prepare them again.
What trips people up on RRB NTPC
The signature is the only image you prepare
This surprises people who expect to upload a photograph. Asked what has to be uploaded in total, the official FAQ answers that all candidates upload their scanned signature, and that SC and ST candidates additionally upload a caste certificate. The photograph is a live capture during the application rather than a file you prepare, so there is no RRB photo size to hit.
Your signature has to sit centred in a 35 by 20 mm box
RRB is unusual in specifying the box rather than only the file. The scanned signature must be positioned within the designated scan box on the application form, which is 35 mm wide by 20 mm tall, and centred within it. The pixel figures RRB gives, 140 wide by 60 tall, are stated as minimums rather than exact sizes, alongside a minimum scanning resolution of 100 DPI.
Do not sign in disjoined letters
The FAQ singles this out: the signature should not be in disjoined letters, and it must be clear, legible and entirely visible within the scanned area. At the computer-based test the authenticity and genuineness of your photograph and signature are verified before you are allowed to sit, so a signature you cannot reproduce naturally on the day is a real risk.
The file size window is narrow: 30 to 49 KB
Not 30 to 50, but 30 to 49 KB, which is a 19 KB window and one of the tightest here. A phone photograph of a signature starts hundreds of times larger, and the floor of 30 KB means over-compressing fails too. Watching the meter settle inside the band is more reliable than guessing at a quality slider.
One more upload this tool does not cover
SC and ST candidates also upload a caste certificate as a PDF of up to 400 KB, in order to claim the free travel pass. That is a document rather than an image, so this tool does not handle it.
How to use this tool
- Sign on white paper. Use a black or blue pen and sign so that your signature fills most of the space. Keep it horizontal.
- Photograph or scan it. A phone photo in good light is fine. Add it below by dragging it in, choosing a file, or using the camera button.
- Let it hit the target. The size meter shows the file converging into the required 30–49 KB range at the correct dimensions.
- Download and upload. Download the signature file, then upload it in the application form. Your photograph is captured live in the form itself.
Common reasons a RRB NTPC signature is rejected
- Too small on the page. The Commission calls these “miniature” signatures and asks that yours fill at least 80% of the box. Sign large.
- Blurred. Photograph it in daylight or under a bright lamp, holding the phone parallel to the paper rather than at an angle.
- Capital letters. A signature written in block capitals is not accepted. Nor is a typed name.
- Not horizontal. The notification asks for a horizontally aligned signature, so straighten the paper before you photograph it.
- Wrong file size. Between 30 and 49 KB, which is what the tool above guarantees.
One useful safety net: the notification says applications from candidates who opt for Aadhaar authentication will not be rejected on the grounds that the uploaded photograph or signature falls outside the prescribed standards. Treat that as insurance, not as a reason to skip the requirements.