After registering for China’s postgraduate entrance exam (kaoyan), the very next step is online confirmation (for the 2026 exam: October 31 – November 5, 2025), where you upload an ID photo and a photo holding your ID card — the highest-failure-rate stage of the whole registration. The correction window is short, so a rejected photo can cost you the exam. This guide summarizes the unified photo standard from the official postgraduate admissions portal.
Official ID Photo Requirements
The requirements below come from the China Graduate Admissions Information Network (sample 2026 confirmation notice on yz.chsi.com.cn), applied uniformly by exam sites nationwide:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Photo age | Within the last 3 months |
| Type | Front-facing, hat-free, no makeup, color electronic ID photo |
| Background | White (a few exam sites allow blue — check your site’s notice) |
| Aspect ratio | 3:4 |
| Format | JPG / JPEG |
| File size | Up to 10MB |
| Face angles | Horizontal rotation, tilt and pitch all within ±10 degrees |
| Eye position | Eyes 30%–50% from the top edge of the image |
| Framing | Head and shoulders occupy 2/3 of the photo, ears and shoulders symmetric |
This photo is not just for the check — it will be used on your admission ticket, offer letter, student records, archives and campus ID, and compared with the photo taken at enrollment. Heavy retouching can fail that later comparison.
Explicitly Prohibited
- Makeup of any kind; glasses, contact lenses and cosmetic colored contacts
- Editing facial features with Photoshop or similar software; re-photographing printed photos
- Hair covering facial features or casting shadows
- Uneven lighting, highlights, light spots, shadows or red-eye
The ID-Card-in-Hand Photo Also Matters
Online confirmation also requires a photo of you holding your ID card. Common failures:
- Expired or soon-to-expire ID card (renew it in advance)
- Fingers covering key information on the card
- Arm and upper body not fully in frame
- Glare making the card details unreadable
Common Rejection Reasons
- Photos older than three months (noticeably changed appearance triggers manual review)
- Wrong aspect ratio (screenshots or stretched images are rejected outright)
- Visible beauty-filter artifacts that differ from your real appearance
- Shadows or clutter in the background
Create a Free 3:4 White-Background ID Photo
Use the free InkStu ID photo tool and pick the “China Postgrad Exam Photo” spec — it auto-crops to a 3:4 ratio at 480×640 pixels with a white background, adjusts the head position to the official framing (eyes 30%–50% from the top, head and shoulders 2/3), and processes everything locally in your browser for free.
For detailed specs and FAQs, see the postgrad exam photo spec page.
2026 Exam Timeline
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Online registration | From Oct 16, 2025 (varies by exam site) |
| Online confirmation | Oct 31 – Nov 5, 2025 (varies by exam site) |
| Written exam | Late December 2025 |
Disclaimer
Each exam site’s specific requirements follow the notices on yz.chsi.com.cn. This article reflects official public information (updated October 2026); where it differs from the latest notice, the official announcement prevails.
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