Preparing documents for counselling portals: size and format guide

Why upload problems cause real delays

Portals often reject a document without a clear reason, and the last day of registration is the worst time to find out. A blurred scan, a wrong format or a file that is too large can stop a registration. Preparing your files a few days early removes most of that stress.

Size and format limits differ

Every portal states its own limits for the photograph, the signature and each document. They differ between counselling authorities, between states and between years, so the notice or the upload page of your portal is the only reliable guide. As a rough idea, many portals ask for files of a few hundred kilobytes, often as JPEG for photos and signatures and PDF for documents, but do not rely on this. Read the exact limits, the image dimensions and the accepted formats on the day you prepare the files.

Scanning tips

A clean scan avoids most rejections. Follow these steps for every document you upload, and repeat the check after resizing.

• Scan the original document, not a photograph of a photocopy
• Use a flat scanner or a scanning app with edge detection, in even light, without shadows
• Scan the full page with all four corners visible and nothing cut off
• Keep the text sharp enough to read at normal zoom, and check stamps and signatures
• Colour scans are fine unless the notice says black and white
• Check the final file by opening it on a computer and not only on your phone
• Rescan anything that looks faint, tilted or unclear instead of hoping the portal will accept it

Photo and signature

Follow the portal's instructions on background, size, face position and recency. Use a recent photograph taken in plain light, with your full face visible, without a cap, dark glasses or heavy filters. Take the photo at home against a plain wall and have someone else hold the camera at eye level, because selfies tend to distort the face. For the signature, sign on plain white paper with a dark pen, in the way you sign on your documents, and crop closely. If the portal gives dimensions, resize to those and then check the file size again.

Reducing file size without ruining the document

If a PDF is too large, first lower the scan resolution a little rather than shrinking the image to an unreadable level. Merge pages of the same document into a single PDF if the portal wants one file for each document. If you need to compress, check afterwards that every line is still readable. Our staff use a document tool to convert and merge files for students, and students who are with us can keep their prepared files in a document locker.

Naming and organising your files

Tidy files save time when a portal asks you to upload the same item again or when a helper needs to find something quickly.

• Use short, clear names such as student-photo, signature, class10-marksheet
• Avoid special characters and very long names, because some portals reject them
• Keep all files in one folder, with a backup copy in a second place
• Add a list that shows which file is which document
• Do not rename a file after the portal has accepted it unless you plan to upload it again

Originals, attestation and reporting

Uploading is only the first step. Finish the upload a few days before the deadline, log out and log in again to confirm that every file still opens, and download the summary or acknowledgement if the portal offers one. Also, uploading is only the first step, and it is easy to forget that a successful upload does not mean the document has been verified. Many authorities ask you to bring the originals and sometimes attested copies at the time of reporting. Attested means a gazetted officer or another authority named in the notice has signed and stamped a copy. Check who may attest in your notice, and attest early because that officer may not be available at the last minute.

Keep your originals in a safe folder, take photocopies for each round, and never give originals to anyone except the college or authority named in the notice, with a written receipt.

Where to check: the information bulletin and upload instructions of the counselling authority, such as the Medical Counselling Committee, JoSAA or your state authority, and the helpdesk on the portal.

By Padhaidekho Editorial Team · 2026-10-20

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Guide reviewed October 2026. Rules, dates and eligibility change every cycle: always confirm on the official notice. This page is general guidance, not legal advice or an admission guarantee.