Best Books for CAT Preparation

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one tough nut to crack. Every year lakhs of students take up the CAT Entrance exam for admissions to various management programmes. The three-hour computer-based test is one of the most coveted MBA entrance exams. The number of aspirants is growing from year to year.

And to be ahead of the competition, one must equip oneself with thorough knowledge along with adequate focused preparation. Whether to take coaching or not is certainly a personal choice, but the utmost thing is to choose the preparation books wisely. With so many books in the market, it can be a tough choice, however, choosing the right study material from a dearth of books and resources can give you a cutting edge ahead of others.

When it comes to CAT preparation, there are some highly recommended authored study material for beginner and advanced level preparations. Below given are some of the best books section-wise for CAT preparation viz. Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) and Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VRC) which will help you to excel them individually.

Best Books for CAT Quantitative Ability (QA):

QA tests the problem-solving approach of the aspirants. With high difficulty level, QA covers topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number System, Modern Mathematics and other questions related to Higher Maths. The best books to prepare for this section of CAT are:

• Arun Sharma’s ‘How to prepare for Quantitative Ability for CAT’, published by Tata McGraw Hill.

• Arun Sharma’s The Complete CAT Digest, by Tata McGraw-Hill.

• How to Prepare for the CAT Common Admissions Test by Muhamed Muneer, published by Om Books.

• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha (Tata McGraw-Hill).

• Quantitative Aptitude for CAT and Other MBA Entrance Exams by Trishna Knowledge Systems (Pearson).

Best Books for CAT Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VARC):

Verbal and Reading Comprehension tests the English language skills of the aspirants. It comprises of questions divided into two parts- Reading Comprehension and English Usage. The English Usage questions can be further classified into Vocabulary, Grammar and Verbal Reasoning. The best books to prepare for this section are:

• How to Prepare for the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay (Tata McGraw-Hill).

• Nishit Sinha’s The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (Pearson).

• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis.

• Barron’s Pocket Guide to Vocabulary.

Best Books for CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR):

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section involves questions in the form of case studies wherein the aspirants have to analyze the given data and answer the questions. It includes the following topics- Data Arrangement, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Bar Graph, Data Sufficiency etc. The best books to refer for this section are:

• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for CAT (Tata McGraw-Hill) by Arun Sharma.

• Trishna's Verbal Ability And Logical Reasoning For The CAT And Other MBA Examinations by T.I.M.E. Publisher: Pearson

With the study material sorted, it becomes a defined journey for cracking the exam. The key to success is to STUDY, PRACTICE and REVISE using the best, validated and updated books.