TANCET Books 2026: Check best books for exam preparation
Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2026 ( TANCET )
TANCET Books 2026: Anna University conducted the TANCET 2026 exam as per the schedule. The entrance exam is conducted for admission to MBA and MCA programmes offered by various colleges in Tamil Nadu. To score well in the exam, candidates must start their TANCET preparation with the best books and study materials developed for TANCET. Read below section-wise best TANCET preparation books along with recommended study material and key preparation tips.
Also Read: Last 10 Year TANCET MBA Question Paper PDF Download
Candidates preparing for TANCET English section can refer to Objective General English by S. P. Bakshi, English Grammar and Composition by SC Gupta, Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, among others. Candidates can seek help from previous year's toppers to know more about the study material.
TANCET exam's English Proficiency section is further divided into two sub-sections. These sub-sections include Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability followed by General English which evaluates the grammatical skills of the candidate. Candidates should develop a habit of reading newspapers, magazines and books to have a better understanding of English Knowledge. They can also refer to High School Grammar by Wren and Martin for developing a strong foundation. Basic Grammar forms the base of this examination and a candidate should be good in basic grammar such as Articles, Parts of Speech, Tense, etc. A candidate needs to read the basic grammar books and can also learn the rules of grammar online by practicing more. Following areas require candidate's attention to score well in the TANCET English section:
- Vocabulary
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- One word Substitutions
- Idioms and Phrases
- Spotting Errors
Yes, CAT books can help while preparing for the TANCET MBA exam. CAT is a national level MBA exam, whereas TANCET is a state level MBA exam. Several topics in both exams are common. Therefore, CAT books can be a good resource for preparing for the TANCET exam.
- TANCET Books and Sample Papers
- Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation
- Best Books for TANCET MCA Preparation 2026
- How to Prepare for TANCET 2026 Exam?
TANCET Books and Sample Papers
Candidates must choose correct books for TANCET preparation as there are several books that cover MBA entrance exam syllabus. Candidates can choose to prepare for TANCET exams online as well offline. Aspirants should refer to those books that extensively covers all topics and explain answers in simplest possible way. They can also take help from coaching institutes where study material is designed by experts of subject. To make preparation easier, Shiksha has listed down best books for TANCET preparation.
Commonly asked questions
There are several study materials available for TANCET exam preparation. Candidates can choose a TANCET preparation book after checking the content in the book.
Candidates preparing for TANCET must avoid random MBA books. While purchasing book, check book content and compare it with TANCET syllabus. Candidates can also consider books after huidance from mentors or past toppers.
Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation
TANCET MBA syllabus have five sections, namely, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency, Business Situation Analysis, Reading Comprehension, and English Usage. Check below the section-wise list of best books to prepare for the TANCET exam.
Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: Quantitative Ability
This section has questions to test arithmetic skills of the candidate. Aspirants are required to cover topics such as Algebra, Number Systems, Linear Equation, Speed, Distance, Time & Work, Mensuration, and Probability among others. Candidates can refer to the following books for TANCET preparation:
| Book Title |
Author |
|---|---|
| The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for MBA Entrance Examinations |
Dinesh Khattar |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
RS Aggarwal |
| Class IX and X books |
NCERT |
| Magical book on Quicker Maths |
M Tyra |
| TANCET MBA |
ES Ramasamy |
Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: Data Sufficiency
The topics in Data Sufficiency section include Bar Graph, Line Chart, Tabular Form, Caselet Form, and Missing Data among others. Refer to the best books for Data Interpretation preparation in the table below:
| Book Title |
Author |
|---|---|
| Data Interpretation for CAT |
Arun Sharma |
| Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency |
Ananta Ashisha |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Gautam Puri |
| Data Interpretation Simplified |
Jagan Saneja |
Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: Business Situation Analysis
This section evaluates the candidates’ analytical ability as well as decision making skills. Refer to the best books for Business Situation Analysis preparation in the table below:
| Book Title |
Author |
|---|---|
| Analytical Reasoning |
MK Pandey |
| Multi-Dimensional Reasoning |
Mishra & Kumar Dr. Lal |
| Reasoning Book for Competitive Examinations |
Pearson |
Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: RC & English Usage
This section analyses candidates’ fluency in the English language. The section has topics such as Antonyms, Articles, Editing, Omitting, Prepositions, Analogy, etc. Refer to the best books for Reading Comprehension & English Usage in the table below;
| Book Title |
Author |
|---|---|
| High School Grammar |
Wren & Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
| Business English and Communication |
John O E Clark |
| 30 Days to a more powerful Vocabulary |
Norman Lewis |
| The Students’ Companion |
Wilfred D Best |
Other Recommended Books for TANCET 2026
- TANCET MBA by E.S. Ramaswamy
- TANCET MBA Solved Papers by S.Sambasivan DR.Antony
Commonly asked questions
Those who have prepared for any other MBA entrance exam can sklip joining a coaching institute. Candidates who feel they are unable to solve most of the questions from past exam papers can consider expert help.
To improve RC skills in TANCET, candidates need to read regularly. Candidates can use sample papers and previous exam papers to practise RC questions.
Best Books for TANCET MCA Preparation 2026
The exam paper of MCA will have questions from Quantitative Ability, Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Computer Awareness. Here is the list of best books for TANCET MCA.
| Book Title |
Author |
|---|---|
| TANCET MCA Entrance Exam Preparation Book |
VVK Subburaj |
| Popular Master Guide MCA Entrance examination |
R Gupta |
| A Complete Package for MCA Entrance Guide |
Amit M Agarwal |
| High Speed System of Basic Arithmetic |
Upkar Publication |
How to Prepare for TANCET 2026 Exam?
For TANCET preparation, candidates should first get familiar with the TANCET exam pattern. Here we have shared course-wise exam pattern for the entrance exam
TANCET Exam Pattern for MBA and MCA
Check below the TANCET exam pattern for MBA and MCA programmes:
| Programmes |
MBA |
MCA/MCA(LE) |
|---|---|---|
| Mode of TANCET Exam |
Offline |
Offline |
| Duration of test |
2 hours |
2 hours |
| Number of sections |
5 (Business Situation Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency and English Usage) |
4(Quantitative Ability, Analytical Reasoning, Computer Awareness, Logical Reasoning. |
| Sectional Weightage |
20 marks allotted to each section |
25 marks allotted to each section |
| Total Marks |
100 |
100 |
| Negative Marks |
1/3 |
1/3 |
CEETA PG Exam Pattern for M.Tech/M.E/M.Arch/MPlan
Check below the TANCET exam pattern for M.Tech/M.E/M.Arch/MPlan programmes
| Programmes |
M.Tech/M.E/M.Arch/MPlan |
|---|---|
| Mode of TANCET Exam |
Offline |
| Duration of Test |
2 hours |
| Number of Section |
3(Part I-Engineering Mathematics, Part II-Basic Engineering & Sciences Part III- for different disciplines) |
| Sectional Weightage |
Part I: Part II: Part III- 20:20:60 |
| Total Marks |
115 |
| Negative Marks |
1/3 |
TANCET 2026 Preparation Tips
Here are some of the TANCET preparation tips recommended by the toppers and experts from the previous sessions:
- Candidates should chalk out a preparation plan which should include the subject-wise preparation strategy, the books that needs to be covered, the hours that need to be devoted to each subject
- Candidates must understand their strengths and weaknesses. While building on their strength, aspirants should not overlook topics that lower their confidence.
- More than spending long hours, candidates must focus on making each study session as productive as possible. Every session must have some takeaways.
- Candidates should also make a list of shortcut tricks and formulas. This will help reach the answer to a question quicker.
- Candidates should solve at least 15 to 20 TANCET mock tests in the last two months to the examination.
Read More:
MBA exams you must check out
Exams which are to be conducted soon
Apr '26
22 Feb '26
22 Mar '26
9 Apr '26
22 Feb '26
Explore subject-wise topics asked in TANCET
Select your preferred subject
TANCET Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
No, Anna University does not refund the TANCET application fee if candidates fail to appear for the exam. TANCET registration fee is non refundable.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
Candidates need to upload photograph and signature while filling TANCET application form. Candidates have to upload the documents in JPG format.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
No. Anna University does not facilitate the TANCET application process in an offline mode. Candidates can register themselves for TANCET exam in an online mode only.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Last date for TANCET registration is notified with the release of notification. Candidates can expect TANCET registration to end within a month of the start date.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
Most of the candidates find TANCET as an easy to moderate exam. Candidates find the exam easy if compared with national-level tests like CAT or XAT. It is a speed-based test with 100 questions to be answer in 120 minutes. Time becomes the primary challenge for the test takers.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
The overall difficulty level of the TANCET exam is considered moderate by most of the test takers. TANCET is a speed-based test with 100 MCQs to be completed in 120 minutes.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
Soon after the TANCET results are declared, candidates will be able to download the scorecard. DTE Tamil Nadu facilitates the TN MBA admission process. Candidates have to get their documents verified to be considered for centralised counselling.
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Sections in TANCET exam include Analysis of Business Situations, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency, and English Usage/Grammar.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
No section of TANCET exam is mandatory as there is no sectional cutoff. However, candidates must try solving as many questions as possible to obtain a good score in TANCET exam.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
A good score in TANCET depends on the course for admission. Generally, a score of 60+ marks (out of 100) for MBA and 55+ for MCA is considered good for admission into top-tier colleges via TANCET.
S
Contributor-Level 6
547 Institutes accepting TANCET
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
Coimbatore • Public
4Karaikudi • Public
Tiruchirappalli • Public
Chepauk, Chennai • Public
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
MAH MBA CET 2026 registration 10 Jan '26 - 20 Feb '26
Will Anna University refund TANCET application fee if I do not appear for the exam?