Best Books for CAT Preparation 2026 Recommended by MBA Experts
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
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Planning to appear for CAT 2026? \Here are the top 32 CAT preparation books recommended by MBA experts. These include CAT books by Arun Sharma, Sarvesh Verma and other authors.
The first step of CAT exam preparation is choosing the right books. But, choosing the best books for CAT preparation 2026 is not easy as every book claims it is the best. CAT preparation requires focused practice so you cannot waste time on books that don’t give results. So, which is the best CAT preparation book? A CAT book that has chapter wise explanation, discussion, examples and practice questions, can be considered the best as it fulfill your key needs for exam preparation. If you are preparing for CAT 2026, refer to only those CAT preparation books which have detailed explanation of every topic included in the CAT 2026 syllabus as well as sample questions for practice (of various difficulty levels). To help you choose the best books for exam preparation, we have prepared section-wise lists of best CAT books. But before shortlisting the books, we suggest that you have a CAT preparation strategy 2026.
- Best Books for CAT Preparation and Other Study Material
- Best CAT Books for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
- Best CAT Books for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Best CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude
- Take CAT Mock Test by Shiksha
Best Books for CAT Preparation and Other Study Material
CAT exam will be held on November 29, 2026. Equipped with a well-planned strategy and best books for CAT, candidates can crack the exam with high scores. Apart from coaching classes, focus on self-study to crack the CAT 2026 exam. Check out the lists of best books for CAT preparation 2026 in this article.
Also Read:
There are a range of books available for preparation of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT. However, the most recommended books are mentioned below:
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
- 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis/Simon and Schuster
- For English Grammar and Vocabulary, High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin is the best book.
For Verbal Ability preparation, practice questions of different difficulty levels are a major part of preparation. The abovementioned books are the best resources of Verbal Ability and practice questions. To prepare for Reading Comprehension, candidates should read books, novels, magazines, research papers, newspaper editorials, etc. Along with these books.
Candidates must read books on economy, philosophy, science, astronomy, psychology, sociology, history, geography, psychoanalysis, economics, astronomy, art & culture, literature, fiction novels, auto-biographies and biographies. Most of the passages that appear in any MBA entrance exam are based on these topics. The RC passages length may vary but most of the times the language is tough with foreign words and expressions or a good amount of data.
It is also recommended to candidates to read research papers, survey reports, etc. to have the practice of understanding and relating data in a quick read. Always refer to dictionary for word meanings while reading books.
Best CAT Books for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) is an analytical section that require candidates to have an eye for detail and the skill of reading complicated graphs or unravelling jumbled patterns. Strong base in Mathematics is essential for cracking CAT DILR. Ficussed practice is the key, so refer to books that have ample and variety of DI and LR practice question. Check below the list of CAT preparation books for DILR:
| CAT Books for DILR |
Author/Publisher Name |
|---|---|
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Gautam Puri |
| Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K. Sinha |
| Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency |
Ananta Ashisha |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT |
Arun Sharma |
Best CAT Books for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) often turns out to be a tough section with dense RC passages and confusing para jumbles. There are no grammar and vocabulary questions in CAT so keep your focus on Reading Comprehension. For this section of CAT too, you need ample practice questions. Check the list of CAT preparation books for VARC:
| CAT Books for VARC |
Author/Publisher Name |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT |
Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay/Arihant |
| 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary Mass Market Paperback |
Wilfred Funk & Norman Lewis/ Simon & Schuster |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT |
Sharma and Upadhyay |
| PSC for VA for CAT |
Nishit Sinha |
The best resources for Quantitative Aptitude preparation is sample papers and previous years' CAT question papers. Since both Quantitative Aptitude is all about Mathematics, it can only be mastered by having enough practice. But only solving question papers and practice papers will not be enough. You will need to first be thorough with the topics and their concepts/formulae. For that refer to books like Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha, Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha and Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Sharma. Sectional mock tests for Quants are also very important for preparation.
CAT books by Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, RS Agarwal and Abhijit Guha are good and exhaustive, but you should refer to more study material like sample test papers and mock tests for a complete preparation.
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Best CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) is the last section of the CAT question paper and it requires mental stamina to go through calculation intensive questions. The more you practice Quants questions, the better it is. You need to have conceptual clarity of Algebra, Mensuration, Arithmetic and Geometry. So, opt for CAT Quantitative Books that not only have topic wise discussion but also practice questions. Check the list of CAT preparation books for Quantitative Aptitude:
| CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude |
Author/Publisher Name |
|---|---|
| NCERT Mathematics books (Class 9-10) |
NCERT |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT |
Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT |
Sarvesh Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Nishit Sinha |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
RS Aggarwal |
Download:
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- CAT 2022 Question Paper: Download Free PDF with Answer Key & Solutions
- CAT 2021 Question Paper: Download Free PDF with Answer Key & Solutions
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- CAT 2019 Question Paper: Download Free PDF with Answer Key & Solutions
- CAT 2018 Question Paper: Download Free PDF with Answer Key & Solutions
- CAT 2017 Question Paper: Download Free PDF with Answer Key & Solutions
Shiksha spoke to a few experts from top MBA coaching institutes across the country to know which are the best books for CAT 2026 preparation. They shared with Shiksha their list of highly recommended CAT books:
Tarun Malik
So, the very first thing the CAT takers need to make sure is that their fundamentals should be in place. The next very important aspect to crack CAT is 'test taking strategy'. An aspirant must understand the importance of taking tests because only by testing, one can create a strategy to crack CAT. The strategy will include 'selection of questions', 'sequence of questions to attempt', 'Speed with accuracy' and most importantly 'pressure handling'.
Although the study material and CAT mocks distributed by coaching institutes are more than sufficient. We can recommend these CAT books if a student has finished all the course material given by the institute.
Best Books for CAT Preparation Recommended by Tarun Malik
| CAT Books |
Author/Publisher Name |
|---|---|
| Quantum CAT |
Arihant Publications |
| High School English Grammar and Composition Book |
Wren and Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
| Past Years' CAT Questions |
G.K. Publications |
Newspapers and magazines recommended by Tarun Malik for CAT preparation:
- The Hindu
- Time
- Business Week
- Newsweek
- The Economist
- National Geographic
- Fortune
- Business World
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Pratik Gour
CAT preparation 2026 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 Mahabharta – 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 |
Best Books for CAT Preparation Recommended by Deekshant Sehrawat
Deekshant Sehrawat, MBAguru, recommends the following books for CAT preparation 2026:
• Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Kumar Verma
• Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit Sinha
• RS Aggarwal’s Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations
• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh
Read most popular articles on Shiksha for CAT Preparation 2026:
| CAT Preparation 2026 |
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|---|---|
| CAT: Preparation Plan for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
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| CAT preparation: Your love for reading can get you the desired result |
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CAT Topper Interviews: Exam Tips and Strategy for 2026
Know which CAT books did previous year's CAT toppers study to crack the exam. Also get key exam day tips from CAT toppers to optimise your performance.
| CAT Toppers |
CAT Topper Interviews |
|---|---|
| Pranshav Shah CAT 2025, 99.80 percentile |
" I started CAT preparation in January 2025. My daily CAT prep strategy included solving 4 RC’s, 4 DILR sets, and 30-40 Quant questions. I timed solving all the questions. My primary focus was on attempting as many mocks as possible and analysing them." Read: Pranshav's full interview |
| Aishiki Sen CAT 2025, 99.18 percentile |
"I started in August 2024 in early batch because I come from a humanities background and had not studied Maths since class 10. I knew I needed some extra time for brushing up my maths." Read: Aishiki's full interview |
| Vagish Nangia CAT 2024, 100 percentile |
“For an aptitude exam like CAT, one should focus on two things, speed and accuracy, both of which come with practice. Speed is important as the exam typically has 66-68 Questions to be attempted within 2 hours with sections like DILR and Quant in particular being fairly time-taking. Accuracy is also important as you need to avoid taking negative marks while looking to maximise your score as much as possible.” Read: Vagish’s full interview |
| Mani Praneeth Chilukuri CAT 2024, 100 percentile |
“In terms of preparation, I started just a few weeks before the exam due to my job and other commitments. I prioritised understanding the exam format, syllabus, and structure through YouTube videos. I then solved a few previous years’ question papers to familiarize myself with the patterns.” Read Praneeth’s full interview |
| Vedant Chandewar CAT 2024, 99.98 percentile |
“I began my preparation in August 2024. Being good at mathematics, I found Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Logical Reasoning (DILR) relatively easy to prepare for. I joined a coaching institute that provided daily practice questions for these sections, which I diligently solved.”Read: Vedant’s full interview |
| Sarthak Jaiswal CAT 2024, 99.97 percentile |
“I personally think that for the DILR section, the mock tests do not really help because every question is unique and there is no set pattern. Only practice can help for the DILR section preparation. Attempting mock tests for this section will not harm the preparation but also not give an edge. For QA and VARC, mock tests are very important.”Read: Sarthak’s full interview
|
| Kartik Bhageria CAT 2023, 99.99 percentile |
"I began my CAT preparation around July 2023. Being an engineering student, I did not spend a lot of time learning new concepts in the Quant and DILR sections. I spent most of my time giving mocks to practice and try to increase my attempted questions with better accuracy in each attempt." Read: Kartik's full interview |
| Riddhi Dugar CAT 2023, 99.91 percentile |
"My overall strategy was to finish the entire syllabus a few months before the CAT. From July, I focused entirely on taking mock tests and sectional tests to maximise my score and have a strategy for D-Day. I completed around 70 mocks from July until the CAT exam day." Read: Riddhi's full interview |
| Rounak Tikmani CAT 2023, 99.90 percentile |
I started my preparation properly in May 2023. My preparation strategy was simple build your foundations by having conceptual clarity in the basics of each section. Then It was just mocks every day. I gave around 110 mocks and made sure I spent enough time analyzing them properly. Taking a mock is not as important as analyzing the mocks and improving on your mistakes. Read: Rounak's full interview |
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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Yes, IIRM Hyderabad does consider CAT marks for admissions. Students can submit national or state-level entrance tests for selection. CAT is one of the accepted tests. The other exams are MAT/ CMAT/ ATMA/ XAT/ GMAT/ IIRMCET.
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There is no option to pay the fee of CAT 2026 application form in cash. The only mode of fee payment is online which includes debit card, credit card, net banking, UPI.
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CAT 2026 registration and application link will be available at iimcat.ac.in website. Candidates will have to apply for the exam by visiting the exam website.
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CAT 2026 application form will be released in the first week of August 2026. CAT 2026 registration dates will be announced in the last week of July through an official notification.
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Candidates have to wait for IIM Ranchi MBA CAT cutoff. Those who clear it become eligible for further scanning process. The candidates may have to visit the website and provide CATID (application sequence number), date of birth, and registered email as per CAT application. The waiting status appears
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IIM Ranchi MBA aspirants need to have a valid CAT score. The entrance test is expected to be held on Nov 29, 2026. Candidates taking the exam will be able to download admit cards online. It is generally released online in the first or second week of November. Candidates should stay updated with adm
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The best books for Quantitative Aptitude preparation of CAT exam are listed below. These books are recommended by experts and mentors not only for CAT but also for other MBA entrance exams.
The NCERT Mathematics book is recommended for CAT preparation because it is the best source of building or revisiting the fundamentals of Algebra Geometry, Trigonometry Mensuration and Arithmetic. The NCERT books are extremely helpful to students from non-Engineering background. Quantitative Aptitude books by Arun Sharma, Abhijit Guha, Sarvesh Verma, Nishit Sinha and RS Aggarwal are the main books for CAT preparation as they cover all the topics at advanced level. They also have 1000s of sample questions of easy, moderate and high difficulty levels for practice.