I had the same dilemma and I did my own personal experimentation in the last four years, finally, I settled with big ISO Enter and |\ in the home row. The layout is not the more handsome, symmetry-wise, but it rocks while typing. See this short example of the headings in a test I am writing for this week in Latex
) :
\documentclass[11pt]{exam}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[spanish]{babel}
\decimalpoint
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb}
\usepackage{multicol}
% Checkmarks and cross marks
\usepackage{pifont}
\newcommand{\cmark}{\ding{52}}
\newcommand{\xmark}{\ding{56}}
\pointpoints{punto}{puntos}
\hpword{Puntos:}
\vpword{Puntos}
\htword{Totale}
\vtword{Totales}
\vsword{Resultado}
\newcommand{\class}{Int. al Dis. de Experimentos}
\newcommand{\term}{Admisión 2017-A}
\newcommand{\examnum}{Ex. Parte I y Parte II.}
\newcommand{\examdate}{26 de Noviembre de 2016}
\newcommand{\timelimit}{150 ''}
\pagestyle{head}
\firstpageheader{}{}{}
\runningheader{\class}{\examnum\ - Page \thepage\ of \numpages}{\examdate}
\runningheadrule
