DRDO CEPTAM photo and signature size: 100-200KB, 80-150KB
For DRDO CEPTAM-11, upload a JPG photo of 100-200KB at 3.5 x 4.5cm and a JPG signature of 80-150KB in black ink. Certificates are PDFs of 100KB to 1MB. The form also captures a live photo, and the category and email cannot be changed after you submit.
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For the DRDO CEPTAM-11 application, the photo must be a JPG or JPEG of 100-200KB at 3.5 x 4.5cm, and the signature a JPG or JPEG of 80-150KB. Both numbers are larger than most exam forms ask for, so a file squeezed down to 20-50KB for another form will be rejected here. Your certificates go in as PDFs of 100KB to 1MB.
DRDO CEPTAM upload sizes at a glance
| Document | Format | File size (KB) | Dimensions | Other rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live photograph | Captured by the form | Not given | Face fully inside the red rectangle | Eye-level camera, plain background, no cap, mask or glasses |
| Uploaded photograph | JPG or JPEG | 100-200 | 3.5cm x 4.5cm | Recent passport size, white background, scanned at 200 dpi or higher |
| Signature | JPG or JPEG | 80-150 | Not given | Black ink on pure white background, running letters, 300 dpi preferable |
| Essential qualification (EQR) certificates | 100-1,024 | Not given | Scanned in true colour | |
| Class 10 certificate | 100-1,024 | Not given | Used as age proof | |
| Reservation or relaxation certificates | 100-1,024 | Not given | SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, PwBD, MSP or ESM, as applicable |
Source: DRDO CEPTAM, How to Apply guide for the CEPTAM-11 advertisement (STA-B and Technician-A), December 2025, drdo.gov.in. The guide says uploaded files must be 100 kB to 1 MB and PDF only. Later CEPTAM advertisements can change these numbers, so read the one you are applying to.
Crop your face to the 3.5 x 4.5cm shape on a white background with the photo resizer. It is built for small files, so check the saved size and make sure it is not below 100KB. Downloading the result needs a free Google sign-in.
Resizer set to the CEPTAM-11 ranges
Photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm (276 x 354 px at 200 DPI), 100 to 200 KB. Signature 80 to 150 KB, black ink.
Runs in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. Open the full Resize Photo to 50 KB page
Why a "small" file fails here
Most exam portals set a ceiling and nothing else. CEPTAM sets a floor as well: 100KB for the photo, 80KB for the signature. A 30KB signature you made for a bank form is not "extra safe". It is too small, and the guide says a poor-resolution, blurred or miniature signature leads to rejection of the candidature.
The cure is simple. Start from the original phone photo or a 300 dpi scan, crop it, and save at a higher quality. If you shrink first and enlarge later, the file gets bigger but stays blurry. Always resize down from the big original.
Signature rules that cost people their application
- Sign with a black ink pen on plain white paper. The guide asks for black ink on a pure white background, so a lined page or a different pen colour risks rejection.
- Use your normal running signature. The guide says it must not be in capital or disjointed letters.
- Do not change it later. The signature taken at the exam and at later stages is matched against the uploaded one, and a mismatch cancels the candidature.
To get a clean white background and tight crop from a phone picture, use the signature resizer. Our phone scanning guide shows how to take the picture, and the size is covered by the 10-20KB signature guide, which is a different limit from CEPTAM's.
The live photo step
The application module captures a live photograph through your camera, and the form says the same photo is what the exam centre will compare you with. Capturing a printed or saved photo of yourself gets the application rejected, according to the guide.
- Sit in a well-lit place with a plain wall behind you.
- Raise the camera to eye level and look straight into it.
- Keep your whole face inside the red rectangle, neither too close nor too far.
- Remove cap, mask and glasses before you press capture.
The same habits help on other portals, as in our post on passing live photo capture first time.
How the CEPTAM application works
There are two steps. First you register with your personal and contact details, then verify the OTPs sent to your mobile number and email. DRDO sends a User ID and password to both. Second, you log in again, fill in the personal, additional, communication and qualification details, choose an exam city, and upload the documents on the "Document and Payment" tab.
Before you submit, use Preview. The guide says you can edit only before final submission. After that nothing can be edited, and the application cannot be withdrawn.
Your category (General, EWS, SC, ST, OBC-NCL, ESM or PwD) cannot be changed at any stage once filled. Your email and mobile number cannot be changed either. Use ones you will still have months from now.
Applying for more than one post
Each post needs its own form. After you click Create New Application, the portal opens a new browser tab for that post, and you fill in the personal details and the discipline there. To apply for a second post, go back to the main tab and click Create New Application again. Do not mix two posts in one tab.
Checklist before you submit
- Photo: JPG or JPEG, 100-200KB, 3.5 x 4.5cm, white background.
- Signature: JPG or JPEG, 80-150KB, black ink, running letters.
- All certificates are PDFs between 100KB and 1MB, in colour, and legible.
- Category and contact details are right, because they are final.
- Live photo taken fresh, with no cap, mask or glasses.
- Fee paid, and the application printed or saved as PDF after payment.
The signed printout is not posted to CEPTAM. You carry it to document verification if you are provisionally selected. If a certificate PDF is above 1MB, bring it down with the PDF compressor for 1MB. The PDF upload failed guide lists the other usual reasons a portal refuses a file. For a side-by-side of other recruiters, see the all-exams size list.
Tools for this
Frequently asked questions
What is the photo size for the DRDO CEPTAM application?
The CEPTAM-11 guide asks for a JPG or JPEG of 100-200KB, 3.5cm x 4.5cm, with a white background, scanned at 200 dpi or higher. The form also captures a separate live photo.
What is the signature size for DRDO CEPTAM?
A JPG or JPEG of 80-150KB, in black ink on a pure white background. The guide prefers a resolution of at least 300 dpi, and the signature must be in running letters, not capitals.
Can I upload a photo smaller than 100KB?
No. The CEPTAM-11 guide gives 100KB as the minimum for the photograph and 80KB for the signature. Save the file from your original at a higher quality instead of using a heavily compressed copy.
Which file format do CEPTAM certificates need?
PDF only, between 100KB and 1MB, according to the CEPTAM-11 guide. Scan the qualification certificates in true colour.
Can I change my category or email after submitting the CEPTAM form?
No. The guide says the category cannot be changed at any stage, and CEPTAM does not entertain a change of mobile number or email address. Edits are possible only before final submission.
Do I need to apply separately for each DRDO CEPTAM post?
Yes. Each post is filled in its own browser tab, opened by Create New Application in the main tab. Personal details and discipline are entered again for each post.
Sources
- DRDO CEPTAM, How to Apply guide for CEPTAM-11 (STA-B and Technician-A), December 2025 (checked 2026-10)
Rules and limits change. Always check the latest official notification or portal before you submit a form.