🔄 Last verified: 30 September 2026 — Specs below are ✅ CONFIRMED from NTA’s AISSEE information bulletins (2026 and earlier cycles), cross-checked across four independent sources. The AISSEE 2027 bulletin is 🔶 NOT released yet — the 2027 specs are 🔶 EXPECTED to match, but verify against the new bulletin the day it drops.
Every year, a small number of AISSEE applications die for the most avoidable reason of all: a photo that was too big, a signature drawn in block letters, a thumb impression nobody thought to prepare. Not a tough paper. Not a missed cutoff. A JPEG.
With the AISSEE 2027 notification expected in October 2026 and the form window likely to last barely three weeks, you don’t want to be compressing images at 11 PM on the last day. Here’s everything NTA asks for — the exact numbers, how to get each file right at home, and the mistakes that get uploads rejected.
This table is the heart of the article. Save it, screenshot it, stick it on the fridge until the form is submitted.
| Upload | File size | Format | Key rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate’s photograph | 10 KB – 200 KB | JPG / JPEG | Passport size, white background, face clearly visible |
| Candidate’s signature | 4 KB – 30 KB | JPG / JPEG | Full signature in running handwriting, white background |
| Left-hand thumb impression | 10 KB – 50 KB | JPG / JPEG | Blue ink on white paper; right thumb allowed only if left is unavailable |
| Certificates (birth, domicile, caste/category, service) | 50 KB – 300 KB | Must match the originals you’ll show at document verification |
Two things to note honestly. First, these are the 2026-cycle bulletin specs — NTA has kept them stable for several years, so the 2027 bulletin will very likely repeat them, but treat the numbers as 🔶 EXPECTED until the new bulletin confirms them. Second, the certificate size range has varied slightly between cycles (some years 100–400 KB), so prepare your PDFs in the middle of the range and you’ll be safe either way.
For the full form-filling walkthrough — registration steps, fee payment, and the complete document list — see our AISSEE 2027 application form guide.
You do not need a studio. You need a white wall and five minutes.
Take the photo on a phone, then check the file size. A modern phone photo will be 2–4 MB — far too big. You’ll compress it down (more on that below), but always keep the original safe too.
This is where Class 6 applicants stumble most. NTA wants the candidate’s own signature in running handwriting — not the parent’s, not block capital letters, not just initials.
One more thing parents get wrong: the signature must be the child’s, even for a 10-year-old whose signature is wobbly. A parent’s confident signature on a child’s form is a mismatch the system is designed to catch.
Yes, NTA asks for the candidate’s left-hand thumb impression — 10 KB to 50 KB, JPG/JPEG. (If the left thumb is unavailable for any reason, the right thumb is accepted.)
Practical method: put a small amount of blue stamp-pad ink on the left thumb, press it once — firmly, without rolling — on clean white paper, and let it dry completely before scanning or photographing. Two attempts is usually enough; the ridges should be clearly visible, not a blue smudge. If you’re photographing instead of scanning, hold the phone parallel to the paper to avoid distortion.
Birth certificate, domicile certificate, caste/category certificate (if applicable), and service certificate or PPO for defence-category applicants go up as PDFs, 50–300 KB each. The classic mistake is photographing a certificate and uploading the JPG. Convert to PDF first — every phone has a free “print to PDF” or document-scanner option — and check the size. A single-page certificate scanned at reasonable resolution lands comfortably inside the range.
And the golden rule from the bulletin itself: if the documents you upload can’t be corroborated with the originals at admission time, the candidate is liable to be rejected and admission denied. Upload what you actually hold.
Too big (the usual problem): open the image on your phone and use any free compressor, or take a screenshot of the image zoomed to fill the screen — screenshots are dramatically smaller than camera photos. Re-check the size before uploading.
Too small (under 10 KB for a photo): the image is probably too low-resolution to show the face clearly. Retake it rather than stretching it — an upscaled blurry photo fails the “clearly visible” test even if the kilobyte count passes.
Wrong format: phone cameras sometimes save as HEIC or PNG. Convert to JPG/JPEG before uploading — the portal expects JPG/JPEG for images and PDF for certificates, nothing else.
If you’re also tracking the notification itself, our AISSEE 2027 notification guide explains what the bulletin will contain and the pattern of the last three cycles. And for the broader picture of what goes wrong across the whole admission journey, 7 Sainik School Admission Mistakes is worth ten minutes.
Run through this the evening before you fill the form — not during:
What is the photo size required for the AISSEE application form? 10 KB to 200 KB in JPG or JPEG format, passport-size with a white background. This is the 2026-cycle specification from NTA’s information bulletin; the 2027 bulletin is expected to keep the same limits.
What are the signature specifications for AISSEE? 4 KB to 30 KB in JPG or JPEG format, full signature in running handwriting on a white background. Block letters and initials-only signatures are the most common reason for rejection at upload.
Is a thumb impression required for the AISSEE form? Yes — the candidate’s left-hand thumb impression, 10 KB to 50 KB in JPG or JPEG format. If the left thumb is unavailable, the right-hand thumb impression may be used.
Can I use a phone camera photo for the AISSEE application? Yes, if it meets the specs: plain white background, face clearly visible, no cap or goggles, and the file compressed to between 10 KB and 200 KB in JPG/JPEG. A studio photo is not mandatory.
What happens if my uploaded photo does not meet the specifications? NTA’s portal can reject the upload outright, and a non-compliant photo can cause problems at admit-card verification and document verification later. Get it right before submitting — the correction window is short and never guaranteed.
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