CAT 2018 is just a month away and MBA aspirants are on their toe, getting prepared for one of the toughest exam in the country. The exam is a gateway to the Indian Institute of Management and many other elite Business schools in India. Even though the test is conducted by IIM, other premier business schools also accept CAT Scorecard for selecting candidates in their management programs. In this stiff competition, you need to study strategically to leave others behind.
Is getting admission in one of the reputed IIMs your aim in life? Then you must be studying hard for CAT. Do you know which are the best books that can be of your assistance? There are more than 50 CAT preparation books in the market.
How can you choose the best one? Check out our detailed review of section-wise books by popular authors and publishers, and select the best ones recommended by the toppers and the experts.
Stop wasting your time, money and energy on useless, irrelevant resources and study smart. CAT 2018 has no particular syllabus. Therefore, there is no one book that covers the entire syllabus. You cannot learn all the topics from one book.
Quantitative Ability or Mathematics covers a wide range of topics. It is considered by many to be the most complex section of the entire exam. The questions that are asked in this section can be directly related to the topic or they might be an application of the concept. Numbers, Average and Mixtures, Arithmetic and Word-based Problems, Geometry, Algebra, Counting, etc. are some of the topics under this section. Some of the best books for this section are:
| Book Title | Author | 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 | RS Aggarwal | – |
| The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Nishant Sinha | Pearson |
| Quantitative aptitude for all competitive examinations | Abhijit Gupta | Mc Graw Hill Education |
| NCERT Mathematics Books for Standard 8, 9 and 10 | – | NCERT |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma is considered one of the best books on Quantitative Aptitude by all the CAT aspirants. It covers everything i.e. Numbers, Average and Mixtures, Arithmetic and Word-based Problems, Geometry, Algebra and Counting. It comprises of 19 chapters and 5 test papers.
The Data Interpretation questions revolve around calculation and require knowledge of mathematics. The questions under Logical Reasoning section focus on the candidate’s problem solving aptitude. These questions can be solved in more than one way. But we are here to help you in choosing the best books which can teach you the easiest and the quickest methods to solve these brain wracking questions.
| Book Title | Author | Publisher |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for the CAT | Arun Sharma | Mc Graw Hill Education |
| 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 |
| CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | Gautam Puri | Career Launcher |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha is one of the most superior guidance books for Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation section of CAT. The best thing about this book is that it covers both LR and DI sections, all in one. It covers all the basic and advanced DI and LR topics. It is equipped with solved examples and exercises for aspirants. There are also practice tests of varying difficulty levels which helps the students to thorough their preparation.
The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section tests the vocabulary as well as grammar of the candidate. This can toughest section of the exam if not prepared well. There are questions on various topics- Grammar, Vocabulary, Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. In the Critical Reasoning sub section, there are numerous questions based on application. Improve your reading skills, vocabulary usage, word formation and grammar knowledge with the best books mentioned below.
| Book Title | Author | Publisher |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Arun Sharma, Meenakshi Upadhyay | Mc Graw Hill Education |
| The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT | Nishit K Sinha | Pearson |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | Dr R S Aggarwal | S Chand |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | Ajay Singh | Arihant |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | Penguin |
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay is considered to be one of the best books for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section. This book is divided into four parts- Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Verbal Reasoning and CAT Papers (Real and Sample). This book will assist you not only in CAT but also in other exams such as XAT, IIFT, CMAT, MAT and IRMA.
So take the help of these books and prepare well for the exam. If you will be focussed enough then surely you will ace CAT. All the best!
