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Home > News & Articles > Best Books for CAT 2024 Preparation, Recommended By Toppers and Other Books
Chetna Verma
Updated on 16th September, 2024 , 7 min read
Best Books for CAT 2024 Preparation, Recommended By Toppers and Other Books
CAT Books are very important to begin your CAT preparation and play a vital role in bracing you for the CAT Exam 2024. If you intend to take the CAT exam in 2024 and want to get selected for one of the top MBA colleges in India, then the best time to start preparing is now. Know about the best CAT books for preparation, as these are the best tools that can help you grasp the theory and concepts of CAT.
The first step toward CAT preparation begins with the selection of the right CAT books. However, it is not easy to pick the best CAT books when the market has so much to offer in terms of CAT Exam books. Many students face similar questions- which are the best CAT books for preparation? For that very reason, we have compiled a list of the finest CAT books, organized by subject, as recommended by professionals and top students.
For your information, the CAT Exam 2024 is scheduled for the final week of November, which gives you an ample amount of time to study and prepare. When lakhs of students are thoroughly preparing for the CAT exam to get themselves into top IIMs and B-schools, then the best CAT books and consistency in studies are your key determinants. Thus, this article lists the best CAT books for Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, which aspiring candidates can utilize for their preparation.
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How to Choose CAT Books
Among the many tools available for CAT preparation, the best CAT books, consistent practice, excellent coaching, and ongoing mentorship are the determining factors to lead to the success in CAT exam. Candidates must take various variables into account before selecting the appropriate CAT books to prepare for the exam. These factors include:
Aspirants must always use the most recent and up-to-date editions of the books to learn about the latest topics in the CAT exam. Avoid using books with the older version as they lack the requisite information. The latest editions of the books contain the most recent topics and questions under the previous year's papers.
- The best CAT books are always written in simple and understandable language.
- Analyse that the CAT exam books must incorporate rich-quality material, cover all the aspects of subjects and topics, and consist of time-saving instrumental techniques.
- A candidate should carefully check the book to see if it includes practice questions of various difficulty levels. It helps students determine which is the best book for CAT.
- Check if the book contains the previous year's question papers for the last five years with answer keys, along with a sizable number of mock test papers with in-depth solutions.
- Always seek out CAT exam books suggested by the CAT toppers or your peer group of people who have passed the CAT Exam. It is highly advisable to go for books written by well-known authors with expertise in their domain.
Read Also: CAT Syllabus
Best CAT Books for Preparation
The bookwork by Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, and RS Aggarwal is considered the best CAT book for preparation for the Exam. In the upcoming sections, we have listed CAT exam books section-wise. Read on.
CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
The Quantitative Aptitude Section is often regarded as the toughest section as it is based on mathematics and intensive calculations. It is important to correctly practice the numerical questions in this section and acquire shortcuts so that you can do them fast and with ease. Some of the best CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude are listed below.
Book Name | Author Name/Publisher | USP |
NCERT Mathematics books (Class 9-10) | NCERT | For students without a background in science, NCERT Mathematics books are excellent. These books help you to work on essential ideas and theorems while preparing to subsequently resolve more difficult quantitative issues. |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma | This highly popular book by Arun Sharma is the best choice among aspirants as it explains the fundamentals in an easy and understandable way. The best part about the book is that it contains three levels of difficulty for each topic and five test papers facilitating aspirants to practice questions from low to high. |
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | Abhijit Guha | This useful book by Abhijit Guha is a complete resource for Quant preparation for CAT, competitive exams as well as other MBA entrance exams. |
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT | Sarvesh Verma | This book by Sarvesh Sharma is highly suggested for candidates not having a math background or others who find QA intimidating. The USP of this CAT book lies in the simple language and more than 4000 questions with answers. |
Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Nishit Sinha | This book by Nishit Sinha is the best resource material for learning complex concepts and their applications. Additionally, it has five mock tests and more than 4000 solved questions. |
Quantitative Aptitude | RS Aggarwal | This is one of the oldest yet most resourceful reference books, written by RS Aggarwal. The book contains subject knowledge of all topics and over 5500 practice questions. |
Know about the CAT Exam Pattern to prepare your strategy for CAT Exam preparation.
CAT Books for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section of the CAT Exam is easy to score but takes a lot of time. Candidates are required to respond more quickly and effectively to varied inquiries. Some of the suggested CAT exam books for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning are:
CAT Book Name | Author Name/Publisher | USP |
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning | RS Agarwal | This is a beginner-level book that contains most basic LR concepts. It is highly advisable for beginners. |
How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun Sharma | This book by Arun Sharma contains all the aspects of LR. After each topic comes a list of problem questions with different difficulty levels. These questions are highly beneficial for students to measure their preparation level. |
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma | Another prominent book by Arun Sharma that sums up all the topics under Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency. Besides, it encompasses sample questions, previous year questions, and model tests. |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit Sinha | This book by Nishit Sinha, a CAT expert, contains more than 500 solved questions related to DILR. Among other things, it includes self-assessment tests, and model questions for SNAP, IIFT and XAT. |
Data Interpretation | Nishit Sinha | This study guide by Nishit Sinha is highly helpful for the CAT as well as other MBA entrance examinations like the XAT, GMAT, NMAT, and CMAT. |
CAT Books for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension component of the CAT exam is crucial since the questions assess vocabulary, grammar, and other aspects of the English language. Candidates must fully understand the passage to pass the reading comprehension exam. Some of the best CAT Books for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension are:
CAT Book Name | Author/Publisher | USP |
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay | It is one of the most comprehensive books for VARC preparation. It includes principles, explanations, advice, exercises, and sample questions. The four sections are RC, VA, VR, and example papers. |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension For the CAT | Nishit Sinha | This thorough book consists of the latest topics and exercises in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. Among other things, it includes five mock tests, seven-year solved CAT question papers, and more than 2000 solved questions. |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | This book is the best choice when it comes to enhancing vocabulary. It is quite simple to use and includes word usage, pronunciation, and contextual explanations. |
High School Grammar and Composition | Wren and Martin | This book is a good place to start to brush up on your English grammar and usage. It is highly advisable for school-level students who want to develop a strong foundation in spoken and written English. |
30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary | Wilfred Funk & Norman Lewis/ Simon & Schuster | With its straightforward activities and self-tests, this book is an excellent resource for increasing word power and usage as well as pronunciation. |
Read more: CAT Preparation Tips
CAT Preparation Books - Topper Recommends
Other than the books listed above, we have curated the set of books that one must read to strengthen their CAT preparation, as recommended by the CAT topper - Pratik Gour himself. He says that aspirants should read fiction as well as non-fiction books other than usual books to ace the exam. Check his recommendations below.
Pratik Gour
CAT preparation 2024 will not be complete without going through a few CAT books like the IMS Theoretical Books of Verbal & Quant. This is a set of books that would not only clear concepts but would also consist of questions to solve which helps to practice.
CAT 500 is another special book from IMS consisting of '500 Must Solve Questions'. If you can solve these questions correctly and in the target time (average 2.5 minutes) then you can be assured that you are on the right path.
Acing the CAT exam and getting the GD-PI calls from targeted B-Schools is just the first step. Beyond that, every student needs to build their skills on communication for acing further rounds. There are a few CAT books that we would recommend in different areas which could be a good read like:
CAT Books Recommended by Pratik Gour
CAT Books | Author | Genre |
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People | Stephen Covey | Management |
A Brief History of time | Stephen Hawking | Science |
Cosmos | Carl Sagan | Science |
An Illustrated Retelling of Mahabharata – Jaya | Devdutt Patnaik | Mythology & Management |
India in Slow Motions | Mark Tully | Politics |
Capitalism & Freedom | Milton Friedman | Economics |
Maximum City | Suketu Mehta | City Life - Mumbai |
Long Walk to Freedom | Nelson Mandela | Autobiography - Politics |
Wings of Fire | APJ Abdul Kalam | Autobiography |
Shantaram | David Gregory Roberts | Autobiography – City Life |
Other Books Recommends for CAT Preparation by Pratik Gour
Pratik suggests that CAT aspirants must also read non-fiction novels so that they have an incentive to keep reading. Some of them are listed below:
CAT Books | Author | Genre |
Around the world in Eighty Days | Jules Verne | Adventure |
The Time Machine | H G Wells | Science Fiction |
Caves of Steel | Isaac Asimov | Science Fiction |
The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | Dystopian Fiction |
Three Men in a Boat | Jerome K Jerome | Humour |
Something Fresh | P G Wodehouse | Humour |
Where Eagles Dare | Alistair McLean | Fiction |
Newspapers to Refer for CAT Preparation
It is also recommended that aspirants should read newspapers and journals to improve their reading comprehension skills. Reading these materials will help to get a strong command of the English language which in turn will help in the VARC section.
- The Hindu
- Time
- Business Week
- Newsweek
- The Economist
- National Geographic
- Fortune
- Business World
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the best CAT books for preparation?
Books authored by Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, and RS Aggarwal are highly recommended books for CAT preparation. These books aid to strengthen the foundation in Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.
Is studying from recommended CAT books enough to score well in exams?
In addition to the books, candidates must take up mock tests, sample papers, previous year question papers for CAT, and supplementary resource material for complete preparation.
Can I prepare for CAT Exams in six months?
Yes. Many toppers completed their CAT preparation in six or fewer months. Students with a Science background have better chances to culminate their preparation in six months as they do not have to take up Maths topics from scratch, as compared to students with an Arts background.
How do I prepare for CAT exam 2024?
A few strategies to prepare for CAT exam include understanding the exam pattern well, studying and practicing the syllabus for CAT, strengthening your basics for CAT preparation, practicing mock tests and sample papers regularly, and tracking and analysing your score on mock test to prepare for the CAT exam well.
Do CAT preparation books that are available in the market have sample questions?
Yes. CAT preparation books include sample questions and answers for better preparation for the students.
What should be my last month CAT preparation strategy?
In the last month of preparation, focus must be put on mock tests and sample questions. Keep revising your strong areas and work on your weak points, and do not pick any new topics. Try to achieve the maximum score in the mock tests.