CAT photo and signature size — 80 KB each, and a 6-month rule
For CAT 2026, both files must be under 80 KB and the photo can't be older than 6 months — the official registration guide (not the information bulletin) is where the spec lives.
CAT specification
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Photograph size | Passport size photograph within 1200 x 1200 pixels |
| Photograph resolution | Minimum 150 pixels per inch |
| Photograph file size | Maximum 80 KB (no minimum stated) |
| Photograph age | Not more than 6 months old |
| Signature size | 80 mm x 35 mm, minimum 150 pixels per inch |
| Signature file size | Maximum 80 KB |
| Format | .jpg / .jpeg for both files |
| Background | White |
| Admit card use | The uploaded photograph must be affixed on the admit card on test day, so keep prints |
Source: CAT 2026 Registration Guide (iimcat.ac.in, served from cdn.digialm.com) (CAT 2026 registration guide, section 1.3 Documents Upload; registration 3 Aug - 22 Sep 2026). checked on 2026-09-20. The CAT 2026 Information Bulletin (26-07-2026) still carries no photo or signature spec; the registration guide does. The 2019 guide cited earlier gave the photo as 30 mm x 45 mm; the 2026 guide replaces that with 1200 x 1200 px, so this page now follows the 2026 guide.
Read the source note on this page
CAT is the one entry on FileKB where the information bulletin does not help. We fetched the CAT 2026 information bulletin and it carries no photograph or signature specification whatsoever. The numbers here come from the official CAT 2026 registration guide linked from iimcat.ac.in, section 1.3 Documents Upload. That is stated in the source block rather than buried, because a spec table without a date is worth very little.
What the guide actually asks for
A passport photograph within 1200 x 1200 pixels, at least 150 px per inch, on a white background, no more than six months old, saved as .jpg or .jpeg under 80 KB. The signature is a wide strip: 80 mm x 35 mm at the same resolution, also under 80 KB. Both files share one ceiling, which is unusual — most portals give the signature a much tighter budget than the photograph.
Why older pages say 30 x 45 mm
The CAT 2019 registration guide gave the photo as 30 mm x 45 mm; the 2026 guide replaces that with a square 1200 x 1200 px box. If a coaching-site table still shows the millimetre figure, it is quoting the old guide. If your form rejects a compliant file, check the on-screen error text — and keep prints of the photo, because IIMs ask you to affix it on the admit card at the centre.
How it works
- Get a passport photo taken within the last six months on a white background.
- Crop it square, within 1200 x 1200 px, at 150 px per inch or better.
- Export as .jpg under 80 KB — around 60 KB leaves headroom.
- Sign inside an 80 x 35 mm box and scan the strip at 150 px per inch.
- Export the signature as .jpg under 80 KB.
- Print copies of the same photo to affix on the admit card on test day.