Home Row Keys and Finger Placement - Touch Typing Basics
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If you have ever opened the Hindi keyboard settings on a computer or a typing software, you may have seen two options with confusingly similar names: Remington GAIL and Remington CBI. Both are called "Remington", both come from the Hindi typewriter tradition, and both type Devanagari using an English keyboard. So which one should you learn, and does the difference actually matter in an exam?
As a trainer, I get this question most often from candidates who learned typing at a local institute and then found that a few keys "behave strangely" on a different computer. In most such cases, the culprit is the difference between these two variants.
Where the Remington name comes from
Before computers, Hindi was typed on mechanical typewriters. The most familiar Hindi typewriter keyboard became known as the Remington layout, after the typewriter brand. Letters were arranged for mechanical convenience and frequency of use, not phonetic order.
When Hindi typing moved to computers, software makers and font designers recreated this typewriter arrangement. Over time, more than one computer version of the "Remington" layout came into use. The two you will hear about most are:
- Remington GAIL - the version that matches the Krutidev 010 font keyboard. This is by far the most common today.
- Remington CBI - an older variant in which the core idea is the same, but several keys are mapped differently.
Remington GAIL - the common standard
When a typing institute, a practice website or an exam notification says "Remington" or "Krutidev", it almost always means the GAIL arrangement. Some features you will recognise:
- 'f' types the short i-matra (ि), pressed before the consonant, exactly as on a typewriter.
- 'k' types the aa-matra (ा) and 'd' types क.
- 'Z' types the reph (र्), typed after the letter it appears on.
- Many half letters and common conjuncts have dedicated keys or Shift combinations.
Because GAIL matches Krutidev 010, text typed in this layout looks correct in the Krutidev font. When a computer-based test uses Unicode but offers a "Remington GAIL" input option, the software maps those same keystrokes to proper Unicode Hindi, so you type exactly as you would in Krutidev and the output is Unicode.
Remington CBI - the older variant
Remington CBI follows the same typewriter philosophy. If you know GAIL, much of CBI will feel familiar, and the reverse is also true. The difference is that a number of keys produce different characters. In practice, candidates usually notice the difference in:
- Some half letters and conjunct forms.
- Some less frequently used letters.
- Certain symbols and punctuation marks.
The exact set of differences can also depend on the software or input tool providing the layout, so we are not listing a key-by-key chart here. The safest way to see them for your setup is to open a blank document, switch between the two input methods and type the full keyboard, with and without Shift, in each.
If you learned typing on an old institute computer and a handful of your keys suddenly give "wrong" characters in a new software, check whether one is set to CBI and the other to GAIL before you blame your fingers.
GAIL vs CBI at a glance
| Point | Remington GAIL | Remington CBI |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Hindi typewriter, matched to Krutidev 010 | Hindi typewriter, older computer variant |
| How common today | Most widely taught and used | Less common, seen in some older setups |
| Core logic (ि before consonant, typewriter order) | Yes | Yes |
| Key mapping | Standard Krutidev 010 mapping | Several keys differ from GAIL |
| What "Remington" usually means in exam notices | This one, in most cases | Only if specifically stated |
| Recommended for new learners | Yes | Only if your exam specifically requires it |
Which exams use which?
Here is the honest answer: exam notifications do not always spell out GAIL or CBI. Many simply say "Hindi typing in Krutidev / Remington" or "Hindi typing in Mangal / Inscript or Remington".
In practice:
- Most state exams that accept Krutidev or Remington, such as recruitments in UP, Rajasthan, MP and Bihar, are generally taken in the Krutidev 010 / Remington GAIL style.
- CPCT offers Inscript or Remington (GAIL) as Hindi typing options, as per recent notifications. See our CPCT exam page for details.
- Computer-based typing tests that run on Unicode software may offer one or more Remington options in their interface.
Because each recruiting body defines its own rules and software, always do two things before exam day:
- Read the latest official notification for the exact Hindi typing option.
- Take the official mock test or demo if one is provided, and type a few lines to confirm the layout matches what you practised.
Which one should you learn?
For almost every candidate, the answer is Remington GAIL.
- It is the version that most institutes teach.
- It matches Krutidev 010, so your skills work in both Krutidev-based and Unicode-based tests that offer a GAIL option.
- Most practice material, including our own, is built around it.
Learn CBI only if your target exam or employer clearly specifies it. If you already type fast in CBI, it is usually easier to adapt to GAIL by retraining the handful of differing keys than to learn a new layout from scratch. Spend a week drilling only those keys in words and sentences until your fingers stop hesitating.
How to practise Remington typing effectively
- Learn keys in frequency order. Start with ा, क, र, स, न, ि, े, and the most common consonants before rarer ones.
- Practise the pre-typed ि deliberately. Words like किसान, सिंह, विकास, निर्णय train your brain to press 'f' first.
- Drill reph words. धर्म, कर्म, वर्ष, पूर्व, सर्वोच्च - these trip up many candidates.
- Move to timed tests early. Once you know all keys, 10-minute tests teach you more than untimed copying.
Our Remington GAIL typing test and structured Hindi Remington GAIL course follow the GAIL mapping, so what you practise is what most exams expect. If you have old Krutidev files, you can convert them for Unicode use with the Krutidev to Unicode converter.
Remington vs Inscript - a quick reminder
Do not confuse the Remington debate with the Remington vs Inscript debate. Inscript is a completely different layout based on the phonetic structure of Devanagari and is the Government of India standard for Unicode typing. If you have not yet chosen between typewriter-style and Inscript typing, read up on both before you start, because switching later costs weeks.
FAQs
Is Remington GAIL the same as Krutidev?
For typing purposes, yes. The Remington GAIL keyboard follows the Krutidev 010 font layout, so the same keystrokes produce the same Hindi characters.
What is the main difference between Remington GAIL and Remington CBI?
Both follow the Hindi typewriter logic, but Remington CBI is an older variant in which several keys, mostly for certain half letters, conjuncts and symbols, are mapped differently from GAIL.
Which Remington layout is used in government typing exams?
When a notification says Remington or Krutidev, it usually means the GAIL arrangement. Always confirm with the official notification and mock test, because each recruiting body sets its own rules.
Can I switch from Remington CBI to GAIL easily?
Usually yes. Since most keys behave similarly, you mainly need to retrain the keys that differ. A week or two of focused drills is often enough to adjust.
Should a beginner learn Remington CBI?
No, unless a specific exam or employer requires it. Remington GAIL is more widely used and is the better choice for most candidates.
Want to check your current Remington speed? Take a timed test on our Hindi typing test page and choose the Remington GAIL option.