XAT Preparation Books and Study Material 2026

XAT study material includes books by RS Aggarwal, Arun Sharma and Wren & Martin. Aspirants must refer to recommended XAT books only. Check here section-wise list of XAT preparation books for 2026 exam session.

It is crucial to choose the right XAT books, as the syllabus is vast and difficulty level high. XLRI shortlists candidates above 92-94 percentile, so candidates cannot be ill prepared for the exam. So, for exam preparation, you must refer to expert recommended books for XAT 2026.

Choose only those XAT preparation books, that include all the topics includes in the XAT syllabus. The XAT syllabus comprises subjects like Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Logical Ability, Data Interpretation, Decision Making and General Knowledge. The books should also have additional XAT study material such as practice questions, sample papers and topic wise exercises of various difficulty levels. Read below to know the best books for preparation of XAT 2026.

Best Books for XAT Preparation: Expert Recommendation

Every section of the XAT exam has different weightage and cut-off marks, therefore, for an overall good XAT score, candidates need to perform well in each section. Experts suggest that candidates should apply subject specific strategy to prepare every section of XAT, which should include recommended XAT books. We have listed section-wise best books for XAT preparation 2026 (recommended by experts) and other study material below. Read on.

XAT Preparation Books for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

Quantitative Ability (QA) and Data Interpretation (DI) questions are grouped in a single section in XAT as they are based on arithmetical problems. Since, the topics of XAT syllabus is same as CAT syllabus, you can refer CAT books for preparation. Given below is the list of XAT books for Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation preparation.

XAT Preparation Books for Decision Making

Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, the best source of preparation are previous years' XAT question papers and sample papers. You can also take up secondary reading material. Listed below are sample papers and books for XAT Decision Making.

XAT Preparation Books for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning

The XAT VARC section includes tough Reading Comprehension passages as well as a poem, so it is important that candidates have a good control over the language. Additionally, English grammar and vocabulary need focused preparation. XAT books recommended for English grammar and vocabulary are listed below:

XAT Study Material for General Knowledge

Newspapers and Magazines such as  Economic Times, Financial Express, Hindu Business Line, Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Business Today, Business World, and Competition Success Review are the best source of increasing general knowledge. This section of XAT mainly has current affairs questions which you can prepare/memories towards the end of the preparation phase.

XAT Study Material: Previous Year XAT Question Papers

Candidates must practice previous years XAT question papers to know the trend of types of questions asked, weightage of topic-wise questions and difficulty level. Shiksha has a repository of XAT question papers of last 10 years which you can download for free. Click here to download previous years' XAT question papers

Candidates must start practicing XAT previous year question papers, mock tests and sample papers two months prior to the exam. The strategy must include practicing variety of questions on each topic of XAT 2026 syllabus. This will help candidates in grasping the core knowledge of each concept and one can solve questions with ease on the exam day.

XAT Mock Tests

As XAT is a computer based test, it is best that candidates practice online mock tests. This will not only help them in familiarising themselves with the actual exam atmosphere but also help them in improving speed, accuracy and time management skill. Candidates must practice at least 30-40 XAT mock tests for best results. The mock tests should be of various difficulty levels too, so that one is prepared for any type of XAT exam - easy, moderate or tough. Shiksha has created free XAT mock test for aspirants. Click on the links below for Shiksha's free XAT mock test.

XAT Syllabus 2026

When selecting XAT books, do check whether they have comprehensive chapters on the topics of XAT syllabus or not. Listed below are some important topics of XAT syllabus:

Also  Read:

• How to Prepare for XAT Decision Making
• How to prepare for XAT Verbal & Logical Ability
• How to prepare for XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

XAT Exam Pattern 2026

The XAT question paper 2026 will have four sections - Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. Given below is the brief overview of XAT exam pattern 2026:

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