Many government exam portals — including UPSC, SSC, IBPS, and several state-level portals — require supporting documents to be under 100 KB or 300 KB. This is stricter than most other portals and causes a lot of confusion. This guide explains why PDFs are large, how to compress them safely, and how to verify the result before uploading.
Which Portals Require PDFs Under 100 KB?
| Portal / Exam | Document Type | Size Limit |
|---|---|---|
| UPSC (IAS/IPS/IFS) | Certificate / Marksheet | 300 KB |
| UPSC (IAS/IPS/IFS) | Photo (JPEG) | 20–50 KB |
| UPSC (IAS/IPS/IFS) | Signature (JPEG) | 10–20 KB |
| SSC (CGL / CHSL) | All documents | 500 KB |
| IBPS / SBI | Photo & Signature | 50 KB each |
| State PSC portals | Certificates | 100–500 KB (varies) |
| Some university portals | Marksheets | 100–200 KB |
Why Is My PDF So Large?
- Scanned at too-high DPI (600 DPI creates files 9× larger than 200 DPI)
- Scanned in colour when black-and-white text is all that's needed
- Multiple pages included in one file when only one is needed
- Images embedded within the PDF are uncompressed
- The PDF contains vector graphics or fonts that add overhead
- Smartphone scan apps default to maximum quality for storage
How to Compress a PDF to Under 100 KB
Method 1: Use our Compress PDF tool (recommended)
Open our Compress PDF tool and upload your file. Select "Aggressive" compression mode — this targets under 100 KB for most single-page text documents. The tool converts each PDF page to an optimized image and repackages it as a new PDF. Text remains readable at 150–200 DPI equivalent. Download and check the file size in Properties before uploading to the portal.
Method 2: Rescan at lower DPI
If you have access to the original document, rescan it in black-and-white at 200 DPI. A single-page A4 document scanned this way is typically 40–80 KB without any compression — no tool needed. Use the "Greyscale" mode on your scanner if black-and-white mode is too dark.
Method 3: Convert to JPEG then back to PDF
This is useful for certificates with printed text. Screenshot or scan the document as a JPEG compressed to about 60–70 KB, then convert it to a single-page PDF using our JPG to PDF tool. The result is often under 100 KB and prints cleanly.
How to Verify the File Size Before Uploading
- Windows: Right-click the file → Properties → see "Size"
- Mac: Right-click → Get Info → see "Size"
- Make sure the file size shown is in KB, not MB (1 MB = 1024 KB)
- If the portal shows an error, the file may still be too large — try one more compression pass
- Never rely on the compression tool's "estimated" size — always check the downloaded file