Quick answer
What photo does the Putonghua test registration need?
The national registration system at bm.cltt.org asks for a recent bare-headed photo on a white background, 390 × 567 pixels or 3.5 × 5.3 cm, as a JPG, JPEG or PNG of up to 1 MB. It is printed on the admission ticket, and some test centres take the certificate photo on test day.
The Putonghua test photo (普通话考试照片) is a recent, bare-headed colour photo on a white background, 390 × 567 pixels (a "2-inch" photo of 3.5 × 5.3 cm), uploaded as a JPG, JPEG or PNG of up to 1 MB. It is printed on your admission ticket. Some test centres, including Tai'an, Shanghai and Jincheng, take a second photo on test day for your certificate.
You register in the national online system, 国家普通话水平测试在线报名系统, at bm.cltt.org. You then choose your province and test station, which publishes its own notice. The rules below are the system's own upload instructions plus 2026 notices from test stations in Shandong, Shanghai and Shanxi.
Putonghua test photo requirements
| Pixel size | 390 × 567 px (width × height) |
|---|---|
| Print equivalent | 3.5 × 5.3 cm, described as a "2-inch" photo |
| Background | White |
| Photo | Recent, bare-headed (免冠), colour, front-facing |
| Format | JPG, JPEG or PNG |
| File size | Up to 1 MB (some test stations set less; see below) |
| Used for | Your admission ticket, and the certificate only if the centre takes no photo on the day |
From the upload instructions in the national registration system, checked October 2026. The page also warns you if the image is under 200 or over 780 pixels wide, or under 285 or over 1,024 pixels high, or if it was saved rotated.
Switch the photo tool to white
Our linked photo tool's Putonghua preset makes the right 390 × 567 pixel file, but it defaults to a blue background and a 33 × 48 mm print size. The registration system asks for white and describes the print as 3.5 × 5.3 cm. Choose a white background before you download.
What test stations add
| Test station (2026) | Upload | On test day |
|---|---|---|
| Tai'an, Shandong | White, 390 × 567 px, JPG/JPEG/PNG, up to 1 MB | The certificate photo is taken on site and cannot be changed later |
| Shanghai | White preferred, 390 × 567 px, up to 1 MB, jpg. Not needed if your photo can be fetched from 一网通办 | The certificate photo must be taken on site |
| Jincheng, Shanxi | White, 390 × 567 px, jpg or jpeg, head about two-thirds of the photo, up to 100 KB | A white-background photo is taken on site; wear dark clothes |
Jincheng also rejects webcam shots, scans, low-resolution, blurred and distorted photos. It notes that the registration system does not check the photo when you submit it, so "registered" does not mean the photo has been approved. Check your test station's notice before you register.
Sample photos
How to make a Putonghua test registration photo
- Read your test station's notice. Find your province and test station on bm.cltt.org and check its notice for any stricter file limit, such as 100 KB.
- Take a white-background photo. Use a recent, bare-headed colour photo, facing the camera, on a plain white background. Do not use a webcam shot, a scan or a blurred photo.
- Crop it to 390 × 567 pixels. Keep your head about two-thirds of the photo. If you use our linked tool, switch its background from blue to white first.
- Check the file. Save it as a JPG, JPEG or PNG of up to 1 MB, or smaller if your station says so, and make sure it is not rotated. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Upload it and dress for test day. Upload the photo when you register. On test day, wear dark clothes in case the centre takes your certificate photo.
Putonghua test photo FAQ
The national registration system asks for 390 × 567 pixels, which it describes as a "2-inch" photo of 3.5 × 5.3 cm. Upload it as a JPG, JPEG or PNG of up to 1 MB.
Yes. The national system asks for a white-background photo, as do the 2026 notices from Tai'an and Jincheng. Shanghai says white is preferable. Do not use a blue ID-photo background.
It is printed on your admission ticket. Some test centres take a new photo on test day for the certificate, as Tai'an, Shanghai and Jincheng do. The national system says your upload is used on the certificate only if the centre does not take a photo on the day.
Follow the stricter local rule. The national system accepts up to 1 MB, but Jincheng's 2026 notice limits the photo to 100 KB, with the head about two-thirds of the photo.
Photos are reviewed after you register. If yours fails, the system shows the reviewer's comment and which photo you need to change. Jincheng warns that a successful registration does not mean the photo has passed, and that webcam shots, scans, low-resolution, blurred or distorted photos fail.
Jincheng asks for dark clothes, because the certificate photo is taken on a white background at the centre. Tai'an says the on-site photo cannot be changed later, so dress as you want to appear on the certificate.
Official sources
- 国家普通话水平测试在线报名系统 (national PSC registration system)
- Tai'an Education Bureau: 2026 second-half Putonghua test notice
- Shanghai Municipal Education Examinations Authority: June 2026 Putonghua test registration
- Jincheng Education Bureau: 2026 second-half Putonghua test registration
Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.