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Choosing the right CMAT books is the foundation of successful exam preparation. If you are preparing for CMAT 2026, you must study from recommended books only. Check here section-wise list of best books and study material for CMAT preparation 2026.
CMAT Books for Preparation - MBA aspirants planning to appear in the CMAT 2026 exam should choose study material that will give best results. As you start your exam preparation journey, get hold of the best books for CMAT. There are many books available in the market. One needs to choose CMAT books and study material that have exhaustive topic coverage and practice questions. that If you get confused about which ones to select, don't worry. Shiksha has compiled the list of best books for CMAT 2026.
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To cover the exam syllabus, candidates need to study from the books prescribed for CMAT. The CMAT 2026 syllabus is similar to other MBA entrance exams. It comprises Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension,General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Books recommended for CMAT exam are mostly the same as recommended for CAT and other exams. So, CMAT 2026 aspirants can refer to the same books. Check below section-wise best CMAT preparation books along with recommended study material and key preparation tips.
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- Which are the Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026?
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026: General Knowledge
- Best Study Material for CMAT Preparation 2026
- Take CMAT Mock Test
Which are the Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026?
The Complete Reference Manual for CMAT by SK Sinha, S Satyanarayan and JS Rana is one of the highly recommended CMAT preparation books. Besides this book, you should also study from the CMAT books listed below:
Best Books for CMAT 2026 Preparation: Language Comprehension
Given below are the books candidates must refer for preparation of Language Comprehension section of CMAT 2026:
| CMAT Books for Preparation |
Author Name/Publisher |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning |
Dr R S Aggarwal |
| Trishna’s Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT and Other MBA Examinations |
TIME |
CMAT books for Vocabulary and Grammar
Given below are the books that candidates must refer for preparation of Vocabulary and Grammar questions in CMAT 2026:
- Wren & Martin English Grammar
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- Business English and Communication by John O E Clark
- 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary by Norman Lewis
- The Students’ Companion by Wilfred D Best
- A Communicative Grammar of English by Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik
Best Books for CMAT 2026 Preparation: Quantitative Aptitude
Given below are the books that candidates must refer for preparation of Quantitative Aptitude section of CMAT 2026:
| CMAT Books |
Author Name/Publisher |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission Into IIMs |
Sarvesh K Verma (Arihant) |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations |
Abhijit Guha (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| NCERT Mathematics Books for Class 8, 9 and 10 |
NCERT |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
Dr RS Aggarwal |
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Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026: Logical Reasoning
Given below are the books that candidates must refer to prepare for Logical Reasoning section of CMAT 2026:
| CMAT Books |
Author Name/Publisher |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha (Pearson) |
| Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice |
Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026: General Knowledge
Best source of preparation of General Awareness are newspapers and current affairs magazines. For Static GK, best books for reference are Manorama Year Book and Competition Success Review. Apart from that, candidates must read newspapers and journals regularly for current affairs. Also Read:
- How to prepare for CMAT exam 2026 -- Tips, trick and expert recommendation
- How to prepare for CMAT exam in 6 months
- How to prepare for CMAT exam in 3 months
- How to prepare for CMAT exam in 1 month
- CMAT preparation tips for Logical Reasoning
- CMAT prep tips for Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation
- CMAT preparation tips for Language Comprehension
- CMAT preparation tips for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Best Study Material for CMAT Preparation 2026
The best sources of CMAT preparation are previous years’ question papers, sample papers and mock tests but these are useful only after you have completed the exam syllabus. Listed below are reasons why you should practice CMAT question papers and CMAT mock tests:
- CMAT question papers give an idea of the CMAT exam pattern (types of questions asked) of previous years and weightage allotted to each topic. This is very valuable for candidate in planning the approach to the actual exam paper.
- By solving a variety of questions in CMAT sample papers and mock tests candidates will be better prepared to face any type of question in the exam. Tough, hard, easy, lengthy or tricky; no question will come as a surprise.
- Practicing CMAT sample papers and mock test will help in developing speed and accuracy in solving the questions and discover tricks and shortcuts.
- Practicing online mock tests will help in developing time management skill. Since, there will be no sectional time limit in CMAT 2026, it may happen that the candidate lose track of time. By solving CMAT mock tests, one can assess average time spent on a section and divide time for each section of CMAT to follow in the exam.
- CMAT mock tests and sample papers are also a good means to check ones preparation level, strength and weakness viz. various subjects and topics.
Yes, you can prepare for CMAT from CAT books as Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, English and Data Interpretation topics of CMAT are same as CAT. The CMAT difficulty level is lower than CAT. However, since CAT does not have GK and Innovation & Entrepreneurship sections, you will need CMAT specific books and study material for them.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
The admissions into MBA courses at Marwadi University have been concluded in the year 2025. Hence, candidates can no longer apply for admissions into the MBA course at Marwadi University in the year 2025. The CMAT exam for the year 2025 has also been concluded for this year. Candidates must now wait
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, candidates do not have to mandatorily appear for the CMAT entrance exam for MBA in Business Analytics at Marwadi University. Candidates can apply for MBA admissions through any of the national level entrance exam such as CAT, XAT, ATMA and more. However, during admissions into the MBA in Busines
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, it is possible to get an MBA seat at CET Trivandrum with a valid CMAT score. The institute accepts CAT, CMAT, and KMAT scores for MBA admissions. Thus, students who did not appear for CMAT or did not score well can apply via KMAT or CAT scores. Students are selected for the programme after eval
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, CMAT scores are not compulsory for admissions to the MBA course at Sabarmati University. Because the university accepts CMAT/ CAT or any other entrance exam accepted by the counselling body. Thus, applicants with CMAT scores can get admission to the MBA course. However, it is not compulsory. App
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, getting admission into SGSITS MBA courses is not possible without taking CUET. For admission to its MBA courses, the institute only accepts valid CMAT scores. Other than this, it is also essential that students aspiring to enrol into the programme meet the eligibility criteria prescribed by the
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
GK is memory based, so all that you need to do is memorise important events and occurrences. So, candidates may not need a lot of time to prepare for CMAT GK. They can devote one or two months for it. On daily basis, they can read Year Books for one hour to memorise events. Apart from that they can
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
CMAT RC passages are easy. Candidates need not worry about RCs in CMAT because they are short and pretty much straight forward. Questions are fact based and generally require candidates to identify the main argument/theme/idea of the passage. Sometimes, there are a few vocabulary and idiom based que
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, it is necessary to attempt GK section in CMAT as unlike other MBA entrance exams, scores of GK are included in percentile calculation in CMAT. Total number of GK questions in 20 and attempting 8-10 questions correctly, can get the candidate desired sectional cut off in CMAT. So, while preparing
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
The minimum academic criteria for MBA admission through CMAT is minimum 50% in graduation for General category students and minimum 45% for SC/ST/PwD category students. Even though this eligibility criteria is not mandatory for CMAT, it is the basic requirement for full time MBA as per the AICTE reg
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
For admission to MBA/MMS courses offered by State affiliated universities, Maharashtra State CET cell accepts CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT/GMAT/ATMA scores too for All India category candidates. If you wish to participate in the MAH MBA CAP round through your CMAT score, you can fill the CAP registration form a
A
Contributor-Level 6