We're the Perfect Print team. Registering for the TOEIC or another exam, you may be asked to bring or upload an ID photo, and the deadline tends to sneak up. A photo studio means a trip and a fee, but if you have a clear phone portrait you can prepare the photo yourself the night before. The one thing to get right is that requirements differ from test to test — so the first step isn't taking the photo, it's checking the rules.
Check the test's own requirements first
Whether a photo is required at all, what size it must be, and how recent it has to be all vary by exam and by region. A common ID-photo size is the passport-style 2 x 2 inches in the U.S., while many tests follow a 4 x 3cm (about 1.6 x 1.2 inch) format and some accept a digital upload with pixel rules instead of a printed size. None of that is something to assume — confirm the exact requirement on the test's official registration page before you make anything. Once you have the number, the rest is just sizing.
Most tests also expect the usual conditions: a recent photo, taken straight on, no hat, plain light background, face clearly visible. You can shoot that at home against a white wall in bright, even light.
Why a quick crop won't match the spec
The tempting shortcut is to crop the photo in the photos app and print it, but a crop changes pixels on screen, not inches on paper. Print with fit to page and the printer rescales it, so the photo that looked right comes out larger or smaller than the test's size. If a proctor checks the photo against the spec, an off-size print can mean a problem on test day. What you need is to lock the photo to the real dimensions the test calls for.
Build it to spec and print a few at once
In Perfect Print you pick a paper size (a letter sheet or a 4x6 photo print), choose your portrait, and enter the photo size the test requires — for example 2 x 2 inches, or 4 x 3cm — so it's placed at actual size. You can specify down to the millimeter to match the spec exactly. Move the photo so the face is centered with natural margin. Then place several copies on one sheet: if you sit more than one exam, or want spares in case one gets damaged, you print them together at almost no extra cost. Print at actual size (100%), measure one with a ruler to confirm, and you're set well before the deadline.
Perfect Print
A free app that sets an exam photo to the exact required size and prints at 100%. Millimeter-precise, batch-print several at once. No sign-up, iPhone / Android.
Learn more about Perfect PrintFrequently asked questions
What size is a TOEIC or exam ID photo?
It depends on the test. A common format is 4 x 3cm (about 1.6 x 1.2 inch), and many U.S. uses follow the 2 x 2 inch passport style, but rules vary — always check the exact requirement on the test's official registration page.
Can I use a phone photo for an exam?
Often yes, if it's recent, front-facing, no hat, on a plain background, and sized to spec. Build it to the required dimensions in Perfect Print and print it yourself. Confirm the test's own rules first.
Why does my photo print the wrong size?
A crop changes pixels on screen, not inches on paper, and fit to page rescales it. Set the photo to the test's exact size in Perfect Print and print at actual size (100%) so it matches.
Can I prepare photos for several tests at once?
Yes. Place copies — at one size or a few different sizes — on a single sheet and print them together, so you have what you need for multiple exams plus spares at almost no extra cost.