1. An image collating apparatus for performing an image collation operation comprising: a storage device storing image data representing a sensing image of an object sensed by a sensor, template data representing a template image, and a program; and a processor receiving commands from said program for (a) detecting exclusion areas in said sensing image to be excluded from said image collation operation based on classification of image patterns, (b) determining whether or not said sensing image and said template image are derived from the identical object by performing template-matching operations to evaluate similarity between said template image and partial images of said sensing image in different levels, in said different levels said processor increasing the size of area covered by said partial image to be matched with said template image level by level, and at least in one level said processor performing the template-matching operation with respect to said partial image where said exclusion areas are excluded, wherein each of said partial images includes a plurality of partial areas of said sensing image, and said processor, in the process for determining, determines whether a first partial image among said partial images includes said exclusion area, said first partial image including said partial areas at predetermined positions in the first level, and when said first partial image includes said exclusion area, skips said first level and then determines in the second level whether or not said sensing image and said template image are derived from the identical object based on the template-matching operation between said template image and a second partial image among said partial images which is larger than said first partial image and other than said exclusion areas.