The short answer

Your exam notification decides. If it names a layout, learn that one. If it lets you choose, use this rule:

Learnt on a typewriter or Kruti Dev? Use Remington GAIL for Unicode exams — the keys are the same.
Starting from zero? Inscript is easier to learn and works on every modern computer.
Exam specifically asks for Kruti Dev? Practise Kruti Dev.

The three layouts compared

Layout	How it types	Output	Typical use
Kruti Dev	Remington typewriter key positions	Legacy font (not Unicode)	Exams and offices that still use the Kruti Dev font
Remington GAIL	Same keys as Kruti Dev	Unicode	Unicode exams such as MP CPCT
Inscript	Government of India standard layout	Unicode	Unicode exams such as MP CPCT, everyday computer use

MP CPCT, for example, accepts Hindi in Unicode with either Remington (GAIL) or Inscript — not the Kruti Dev font. See the CPCT official rules.

How typewriter layouts work (Kruti Dev and Remington GAIL)

These layouts type in the *visual* order a typewriter used:

ि comes first: press f before the consonant — कि = fd
Half letter + k = full letter: ख = [k, श = 'k, भ = Hk — so भारत = Hkkjr
Reph after the letter: धर्म = /keZ
Two-key vowels: को = dks, और = vkSj

If you already know Kruti Dev, moving to Remington GAIL means changing the output, not your fingers. More in Kruti Dev to Remington GAIL.

How Inscript works

Inscript types in logical Unicode order: consonant first, then the matra. Vowel signs sit under the left hand, consonants under the right, and there is no "type ि first" rule. That makes it quicker to learn, but a typewriter-trained typist will find it unfamiliar.

Mistakes to avoid

Switching layouts mid-preparation — muscle memory splits and both stay slow.
Practising Kruti Dev for a Unicode exam — the output won't match the passage.
Ignoring matras — one wrong matra makes the whole word wrong.

Practise your layout

Our Hindi typing practice supports Kruti Dev, Remington GAIL and Inscript, and turns every keystroke into correct Unicode so your score matches the exam.