Learn the layout your exam names. The CAPF Head Constable (Ministerial) and Patna High Court tests use Remington GAIL, and MP High Court's 2026 advertisement names it too. The Allahabad High Court used only Inscript in 2019. MP CPCT lets you pick either one in the application form. If your exam gives you a choice, pick Remington GAIL if you already type Kruti Dev or DevLys. If you are starting from zero, pick Inscript, the Government of India standard.
Both layouts use the same English keyboard and both produce Unicode (Mangal) Hindi. What changes is the order of your keystrokes, mainly for the short-i matra (ि), half letters and the reph (र्). This guide shows that difference with real key sequences, then lists what each exam asks for and how to choose.
What the two layouts are
- Remington GAIL is the old Hindi typewriter key map, updated to type Unicode text. You type in the order the typewriter used, which is the order you see on paper. Kruti Dev 010 and DevLys 010 typists use the same keys. Those are older non-Unicode fonts on the same Remington typewriter map.
- Inscript was standardised by the Government of India. The first version came in 1986 under the Department of Electronics, it was revised in 1988, and BIS last revised it in 1992. You type in the order you speak, so a matra always comes after its consonant. A Department of Official Language office memorandum of 17.2.2012 calls Inscript "the standard of Government of India" for office work. It says only old staff trained on Remington should keep typing Remington. That memo covers government offices, not recruitment tests, which set their own rules.
How matras, half letters, ि and reph work
- Short-i matra (ि): in Remington GAIL you press f before the consonant, the way it looks on paper. In Inscript you type the consonant first and the matra after it.
- Half letters: Remington GAIL has separate keys for many half letters, such as Shift+U for न् and the apostrophe key for श्. Some full letters are made from a half letter plus ा (key k): ख् + ा gives ख, and H + k gives भ. Inscript makes a half letter as consonant + halant + next consonant, and the halant is the d key.
- Reph (र् above a letter): in Remington GAIL you press Shift+Z after the syllable it sits on. In Inscript you type र, then halant (d), then the next consonant, in spoken order.
- Rakar (्र under a letter, as in प्र): in Remington GAIL you press z after the letter. In Inscript it is again consonant, halant, र.
These sequences are tested on TypingHub's own layouts. The keys are case-sensitive, so a capital letter means Shift.
| Word | Remington GAIL keys | Inscript keys |
|---|---|---|
| किसान | f d l k u | k f m e v |
| भारत | H k k j r | Y e j l |
| हिन्दी | f g U n h | u f v d o r |
Look at किसान: Remington GAIL starts with f (ि) and Inscript starts with k (क). In हिन्दी, Remington GAIL types the half न with one key (U), while Inscript builds it from न + halant (v d). A few more Remington GAIL sequences show the other rules:
| Word | Remington GAIL keys | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| कमल | d e y | Plain consonants, one key each |
| शिक्षा | f ' k { k k | ि first; half letter + ा makes the full letter |
| कार्य | d k ; Z | Reph (Shift+Z) typed after the syllable |
| प्रिय | f i z ; | Rakar (z) typed after the letter |
Which exams name which layout
Where a rule comes only from coaching sites, the table says so. Read your own notice before you commit to a layout.
| Exam | Hindi layout and font | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CAPF HC (Ministerial) | "Remington Gail Key layout with MANGAL Font" only; Hindi 30 wpm | CRPF notice, 2023 |
| Patna High Court Computer Operator-cum-Typist | Remington Gail layout, Mangal font; Hindi 30 wpm with 85% accuracy | Advertisement PHC/02/2026 |
| MP High Court Assistant Grade III | Remington GAIL only; the test is in Hindi | MPHC advertisement, 2026 |
| Allahabad High Court / UP civil courts | 2019: "only Inscript Keyboard layout (on Mangal Font)". In 2018 the court offered Inscript, Remington (GAIL) or Devnagari | Court notices 2018 and 2019; no 2025-26 sheet found, so check your notice |
| UP Police ASI (Clerk/Accounts), SI (Confidential) | Unicode on Inscript; Hindi 25 wpm | UPPRPB notice, December 2025 |
| MP CPCT | Unicode with Remington (GAIL) or Inscript, chosen in the application form; changing it later needs a paid edit | CPCT FAQ |
| SSC CHSL LDC/JSA | 2023 console offered Hindi Inscript, Hindi Krutidev, Hindi Remington GAIL and Hindi Remington CBI, switchable during the test. The 2026 notice (07.09.2026) says Hindi typists must use Mangal font only; any other font means non-qualification | SSC instructions and notices; 2026 layouts not stated |
| RRB NTPC | "Krutidev or Mangal" font; no layout named | RRB CBTST notice |
For each exam's Hindi and English speed, see typing speed required for government jobs.
How to choose
- Your exam names one layout: learn that one and nothing else. CAPF and Patna High Court candidates need Remington GAIL.
- You already type Kruti Dev or DevLys: choose Remington GAIL. The keys are the same and only the output changes to Unicode. This matters for SSC, because the 2026 CHSL notice and a 23.09.2026 Stenographer addendum accept Mangal font only. The notices do not yet say which layouts SSC will offer on Mangal, so check your notice.
- You are a beginner and your exam lets you choose: Inscript is a sound pick. It is the Government of India standard, and because you type in spoken order, you rarely have to think about where a matra goes.
- You are taking MP CPCT and MP High Court: CPCT accepts Remington GAIL and MP High Court's 2026 advertisement names it, so one layout covers both.
- Do not learn both at once. The ि order is opposite in the two layouts, and switching back and forth undoes the habit you are building.
Practise either layout on TypingHub
Exam tests that include a Hindi typing test have a Language menu. Choose Hindi and you get Hindi passages and that exam's Hindi speed. Then choose Remington GAIL, Inscript or Phone keyboard. Your computer keyboard stays on English and the site types Unicode (Mangal) Hindi for you, so you do not need to install a font or a Windows layout. This helps at home. On Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft moved Mangal into an optional "Devanagari Supplemental Fonts" package. Microsoft's own Remington GAIL layout comes only in a separate Indic Input 3 add-on, and users report it failing on Windows 11.
Start from the Hindi typing test page or find your exam on Exam Wise Test. The Phone keyboard option is for practice only. Exam centres use physical keyboards, so do your serious preparation at a computer. To warm up in English first, use the typing test.
A short switching tip
If you are moving from Remington GAIL to Inscript, or back, the ि key is the habit to retrain first. Spend a week typing words that contain ि (किसान, हिन्दी and similar) slowly and correctly before you time yourself. Then add half letters and reph. Keep the layout fixed for the whole period, and practise at your exam's duration, usually 10 minutes. Many tests punish corrections, so also train yourself to type through small slips; this guide on cutting backspace use shows how. For a day-by-day routine, follow the 30-day Hindi typing plan. For the wider move from English to Hindi, read English to Hindi typing transition.
Frequently asked questions
Is Remington GAIL the same as Kruti Dev?
They use the same typewriter keys, but the output is different. Kruti Dev 010 is a legacy font that draws Hindi shapes over ordinary English characters, while Remington GAIL produces real Unicode Hindi that displays in Mangal; SSC's 2026 notices accept Mangal font only.
Can I change the layout during the exam?
It depends on the exam. SSC's CHSL-2023 instructions allowed a change during the test, CPCT fixes the layout in the application form, and SSC's departmental test notice of December 2024 locks the layout once chosen, so check your notice.
Which layout is faster for Hindi typing?
No official source compares the two layouts on speed. Your speed depends on how well you have practised the layout your exam allows, so choose by exam rules first.
Do I need to install Mangal font to practise on TypingHub?
No. Keep your keyboard on English, choose Hindi and a layout in the test, and the site produces Unicode Hindi in the browser.
Is Inscript compulsory for central government exams?
No. The 2012 Official Language memorandum that prefers Inscript is about office work, and recruitment notices set their own rules; for example, the CAPF HC (Ministerial) notice allows only Remington GAIL with Mangal font.
