The Common Admission Test, popularly known as CAT, is one of the most competitive national exams.
The exam is administered by one of the most well-known business schools in India – the Indian Institute of Management, which is often referred to as IIM. The structure of CAT is as follows:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Quantitative Ability
Read out the blog and find out the Best Books for cat preparation.
As it is a nationwide examination for enrolling in post-graduate management programs, there is a very strong level of competition that the candidates have to face.
For instance, in the year 2021, almost 2,30,000 students registered for this examination, and close to 1,93,000 of these candidates appeared.
The duration for CAT is a total of 2 hours, and the time is divided into three slots of 40 minutes for each section. The validity of the CAT score is for a maximum of one year, and the examination is usually held at the end of the year in November and December.
Before giving the CAT, every aspirant must be aware of the eligibility criteria. All individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from any background and have passed with at least 50% are eligible to appear for CAT.
Students from the reserved category can appear even with a minimum of 45% marks in their bachelor’s degree, and final year undergraduate students can appear for this exam too.
With the sudden wave of entrepreneurship in India, people aspiring to work in likewise fields must possess the knowledge of the market.
Hence, having an MBA degree is very crucial in today’s times. By learning all about how markets operate and how successful businesses work, MBA graduates are one of the most sought-after professionals in the corporate field.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Book for CAT Preparation :
The first step that any CAT aspirant takes in the journey of preparation is choosing the list of books to study from.
Now while this may seem like an easy task, the selection for the same should be carried out with the utmost care – as they are going to be your best friends throughout the preparation.
When looking for books to prepare for CAT, the first thing that any aspirant does is browse through the internet. While it is a good decision to do so, we can’t overlook the fact that the internet has an overload of information that might overwhelm anyone.
Hence, it is important to keep certain factors in mind when choosing books for CAT preparation. Some of them are:
Do not go for old editions : While hand-me-downs might be extremely affordable, the same should not be done with every book in CAT preparation.
It is well-known that national competitive exams such as CAT tend to change their question patterns throughout the years.
Hence, going for old editions might help in clearing concepts, but won't provide you with the chance to practice with up-to-date materials. Always go for the latest edition of any book that you choose to go for.
Examine the content : The book that you choose to go for should have strong content and sets of questions that are of varying levels of difficulty.
Along with that, you should make sure that your book also has tons of practice papers, and that the content of all topics is covered properly.
You can ensure all this by checking out the reviews of the books you are interested in.
Topper’s opinions : Make sure to check out what the toppers have got to say about the books that they chose to study from.
Tons of videos are available on Youtube that talk about topper’s recommendations, and you should check out the same.
Importance of Self-Study and Self-Preparation to Crack CAT Exam Preparation :
The toppers and experts of CAT often emphasize the importance of self-study and self-preparation.
It is therefore easy to conclude that even though an aspirant can crack this exam solely by self-study and without any coaching – it is impossible to crack CAT without self-study even if you regularly attend coaching classes.
Here are a few reasons why self-study is extremely important for every CAT aspirant:
Identify your level of preparation : a proper routine of self-study truly helps students preparing for CAT grow academically.
They get familiar with their strong points and weak links, and they can work accordingly to improvise themselves as much as possible.
Hence it is often advised to begin the preparation of CAT through self-preparation, and then avail coaching classes as and when needed.Get disciplined : if you are sitting down every day to study all by yourself without any compulsion designed for you, you are bound to get disciplined in the process.
This discipline would not only help you stay extremely focused on your preparation but also help you in various other spheres of life.Work with what suits you : the biggest drawback of coaching classes is that they have a rigid schedule and the students have to adapt accordingly.
However, in the case of self-study – students get the chance to make their schedule as per their convenience.
This is one of the best ways to boost productivity, and one can study at their own pace and liking.
Another major benefit of self-study and self-preparation for the CAT examination is that students get a chance to get familiar with the areas that they specifically lack.
This helps them arrive at a more calculated decision as to what exactly they need guidance for.
With such clarity gained by studying by themselves, students can make smarter decisions in their journey of preparation.
Section-wise top books :
With an overwhelming amount of books available in the market and way too many suggestions available on the internet, it seems impossible to make a list of books for CAT preparation.
The best strategy to list out the most relevant books for the same is by searching section-wise. Hence, here are the top section-wise books for the CAT exam:
Our Top Picks / Best Books for cat preparation
Verbal Ability
1. How to prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT
The book is completely up to date with the current pattern of the CAT exam.
The book has been co-authored by the two most renowned names in the field of CAT expertise – Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay.
The book has loads of questions to practice from which include fresh passage questions and detailed solutions for the same.
The book also includes many tips and tricks for remembering various grammatical rules.
The questions are sorted with the level of difficulty; hence the students can study at exactly the level that they aim to prepare for. The book also has tons of previous year's questions for excellent practice.
Publication : Mc Graw Hill
Price : Rs. 575
Watch Video
2. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT
This book is often referred to by aspirants of CAT along with XAT, SNAP, and IIFT.
The latest version of this book has two new topics included – ‘Odd One Out’ and ‘Best Summary of the Passage’ – along with various new questions for verbal ability and reasoning.
According to the latest examination trends and question patterns, this book consists of fresh and new questions for students to practice.
The book consists of more than 2500 questions along with their detailed solutions.
Publication : Pearson
Price : Rs. 409
Watch Video
3. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension - Ajay Singh
With more than 200 reading passages, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension is one of the best books in the market for CAT preparation.
The best feature of this book is that it starts with basic questions, and gradually moves on to higher-level ones.
This ensures that students can truly grow in terms of their verbal ability.
The complete syllabus of CAT, MAT, XAT, IIFT, SNAP, and various other examinations are covered within this textbook.
The question papers in this book are up to the years 2016 and 2017, hence are decently updated with the exam pattern and questions.
Publication : Arihant
Price : Rs. 475
Watch Video
4. Word power made easy - Norman Lewis
Any individual who wishes to improve their vocabulary swears by this book.
Be it preparing for CAT, TOEFL, or various SSC examinations – Word Power Made Easy has helped everyone to improve their English language skills.
Reading this book every day helps one embed the new words deep in the mind.
It is worth noting that to perform well in the verbal ability section of CAT, you don't need to know each and every complex word in existence.
However, understanding the context in which the word has been used helps a lot.
This understanding of context is built by Word Power Made Easy, and hence it should be referred to by every CAT aspirant.
The latest 2020 edition is available in the market; hence the vocabulary trends are completely updated in this book. Basic skills such as choosing the correct synonyms, using the words in the correct context
And various grammatical tricks are covered in this book. It is available on various online shopping platforms for discounts
Publication : Penguin
Price : Rs. 189
Watch Video
How to prepare for the Verbal Ability and Reading comprehension section of the CAT exam
The best way to prepare for the verbal ability and reading comprehension section of the CAT exam is by reading as much as possible. Be it newspapers, books, or any text that enriches your vocabulary understanding – everything would be worth it.
A few newspapers that you can consider reading are The Hindu, Indian Express, and Economic Times. Business Standard and Financial Express are also good newspapers to improve reading skills.
Along with newspapers, aspirants should also read books such as Old Man and the Sea, The Alchemist, Harry Potter (Series), Sherlock Holmes (Series), Lord of the Flies, Catch-22, Animal Farm, and 1984.
Books like Brave New World, Train to Pakistan, and Slaughterhouse 5 are also must-reads.
Another tip while preparing for verbal ability is to avoid looking at questions before reading the passage. This prevents distraction, or else you won't be able to focus completely on the details of the passage.
Watch Video
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
1. How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT - Arun Sharma
With the upgrade to the latest trends of CAT exam questions, this book is considered a one-stop solution for all data interpretation and logical reasoning preparations.
It is considered the bible of every MBA aspirant and consists of tons of detailed solutions to the hardest questions.
It consists of many mock tests and solved previous year's papers – hence aspirants
Who choose to go for this book can expect a lot of material to practice their knowledge.
There are access codes available within the book, through which students can access the 5 Data interpretation and logical reasoning Sectional Tests that are in the online mode of Pull Marks.
Hence, this book by Arun Sharma provides all the means for the students to get their hands on this section of the CAT exam.
Publication : Mc Graw Hill
Price : Rs. 559
Watch Video
2. Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT- Nishit K. Sinha
The updated and latest version of this book consists of various detailed solutions to data interpretation questions.
This book is considered ideal for the aspects of concept building when it comes to the CAT exam. Students can prepare efficiently through this upgraded model of text.
This book consists of all three types of problems – foundation, intermediate and advanced.
Hence, students can go on with preparing for this section of the CAT exam according to their level and knowledge. It has tons of model papers and previous year's questions for practice.
Publication : Pearson
Price : Rs. 547
Watch Video
3. Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency - Ananta Ashisha
The data interpretation and sufficiency section of the exam is often underestimated.
However, it is impossible to solve them with accuracy without enough practice.
Keeping this in mind, this book provides the student with a very structured form of practice and concept clarification material.
The book is categorized into 8 chapters, and each chapter talks in detail about the various aspects of data interpretation.
Detailed solutions and concepts are highlighted for every relevant topic, and hence it is an excellent source for clarifying this section of the CAT exam.
The book was published in 2016 and has a newer upgrade in the market too. The levels of this book are as follows:
- Level one : Beginning
- Level two : Learning
- Level three : Applying
Publication : Arihant
Price : Rs.170
Watch Video
How to prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section for the CAT exam
With the rising difficulty of the data interpretation section of CAT every year, it is essential to prepare efficiently for the same.
Some key factors to keep in mind while preparing for this section are:
- Solve a lot of puzzles. Be it standard templates or grid puzzles; make sure that you are extremely comfortable with solving every kind of puzzle.
- Along with practicing a lot from the books, make sure that you train your mind to naturally solve data interpretation questions. A very good way of doing this is by solving sudoku and 2048.
Working on improving intuition while solving questions from this section of the exam is very crucial for securing a good percentile.
The thing with data interpretation of the CAT exam is that it never sticks to one particular pattern of questions. The format keeps changing, and an amateur aspirant is bound to get overwhelmed by this.
However, a decent amount of practice and solving mock tests along with developing the habit of solving puzzles and sudokus daily would surely help build confidence, and ultimately a good score in the final exam.
Watch Video
Quantitative Aptitude
1. How to prepare for the quantitative aptitude for the CAT - Arun Sharma
One of the most popular books for quantitative aptitude for the CAT exam, this book by Arun Sharma is quite renowned in the market.
With relevant concept building and tons of questions, this textbook is completely up to date with the current trends of CAT exams and enables students to gain confidence to ace the mathematical section easily.
With the addition of block-wise tests and questions at the end of every chapter, this book is perfect for students who wish to practice their quantitative aptitude or wish to build their concepts.
The previous year's questions included in this book cover almost two decades, and include questions as recent as that of the 2019 CAT exam as well. The book also contains a few access codes to make sure of Pull Marks’ online tests for practice.
Publication : McGraw Hill
Price : Rs. 725
Watch Video
2. Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
Since quantitative aptitude requires students to be extremely careful and precise with their answers, this book aims to build every aspirant’s confidence in the mathematical section of CAT.
With detailed concept building and practice questions, it helps students understand the topics efficiently.
Along with a thorough analysis of every section of quantitative aptitude, many tips and strategies are mentioned within the book to solve questions with speed and accuracy.
Along with that, a very interesting feature of this book is the ‘Test your Knowledge section. This section is present at the end of every chapter for students to assess their level of understanding – hence coming across their strong and weak links.
Publication : Pearson
Price : Rs. 499
Watch Video
3. Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma
This book has been the best-selling guide for the mathematical section of CAT, and all for the right reasons. With tons of concepts, foundation building, and practice questions included within the book – it becomes a must-have for every CAT aspirant.
This book is a combination of various previous year questions and handcrafted questions of CAT, which amount to over 5000 in number.
This book has been designed for various management exams, and hence it is suitable for every CAT aspirant too.
Another interesting feature of this book is that it provides alternate solutions to many problems, which are sometimes smarter than the original solutions.
Since accuracy and speed is extremely important for this section of CAT, this feature benefits every CAT aspirant tremendously.
Publication : Arihant
Price : Rs. 506
Watch Video
How to prepare for the Quantitative Aptitude section for the CAT exam
One of the trickiest and most unpredictable sections of any exam is the quantitative aptitude – and CAT is no exception.
When there are so many questions and a little amount of time to solve them, it is essential to come up with an efficient strategy to master the quant section.
A few ways by which you can prepare for the quantitative aptitude section of the CAT exam are:
Schedule : Math requires a lot of preparation and planning before the actual preparation begins.
Hence, every CAT aspirant should have a proper schedule that highlights the amount of time that they should give to every section of quantitative aptitude.Shortcuts : since your performance in the quantitative aptitude section depends entirely on your speed and accuracy levels, it is essential to know about every possible shortcut.
Mathematical concepts are all about alternative and shorter solutions, and many books help aspirants learn their applications.Practice mock tests : no amount of practice would be able to help you secure a decent percentile if you choose to skip mock tests for any section of CAT.
Hence while talking about the quantitative aptitude section, the same rule applies. Practice as many previous year papers as possible so that you are well-familiar with the trends of questions being asked in CAT.
Watch Video
Strategy to crack CAT exam :
Along with proper knowledge of the syllabus and pattern, a strong strategy is a must for cracking the CAT exam.
A strategy helps the aspirants to stick to their plan, stay focused throughout the preparation, and ultimately achieve their goal. Here are a few strategies to follow while preparing for the CAT exam:
- Clear your basics : One of the first steps that aspirants of any exam take should take is clearing out the basics.
If your basic concepts are not clear, there is no point in moving on to practicing questions or solving mock tests.
Concept clarification helps one gain confidence to crack the examination; hence your first strategy should be clearing the foundation of your course. - Learn time management : Time management is another important factor that affects the preparation level of aspirants.
Different candidates for the examination should formulate their time management strategy according to their level of preparation – repeaters might only need months of practice, and first-timers might need to start a year before the final examination.
A good and achievable timetable is also a good way of managing time throughout the preparation. - Work on speed and accuracy : The duration of the test is for a limited time – and hence students should work on their speed as much as possible. Practicing to solve all the questions within the time limit of 2 hours is very crucial.
Along with that, ensuring accuracy is also important – and high speed should not be achieved at the failure of accuracy. Hence, work on these two aspects together. - Consistency is the key : You cannot crack CAT with a good percentile by studying inconsistently – i.e., consistency is essential.
To ensure this, one should always be regular with their studies and not skip in between. This is not to suggest that one should not take essential breaks – but the break should not last for days or weeks. - Mocks! Mocks! Mocks! : Every topper and expert on the CAT exam suggests taking several mock tests throughout the preparation.
This ensures that you are ready to take the exam with accuracy and speed. Taking both sectional mock tests and full-length tests is considered wise during the preparation. - One day before the exam : Never overexert yourself at any point one day before the preparation. Make sure that you analyze the mock tests and do light revision one day before the exam.
Also, eating healthy and maintaining a good sleep schedule is crucial in these times. Make sure that your body is fresh, healthy, and ready to ace the exam.
Watch Video
Top 10 Colleges That Accept CAT Scores
We are all aware that IIMs use CAT scores to give admissions. However, there are many other colleges too that accept CAT scores. Here is a list of the top 10 such colleges.
1. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
IITs are the most renowned engineering colleges in the whole nation. However, they provide admissions to candidates other than engineering too.
For admission to MBA programs at IIT, CAT scores are mandatory. IIT Delhi is in Hauz Khas in south Delhi and is one of the oldest branches of IIT.
2. IIT Bombay
IIT Bombay was founded in the year 1958, and getting enrolled in this research university is considered a very reputable achievement.
Even though their cutoffs are extremely high, persistence and hard work can get you into this top-rated institute in India.
3. Faculty of Management Studies
Ranked amongst the top four business universities of India, the Faculty of Management Studies comes under the affiliation of Delhi University.
It was established in the year 1954. A personal interview is also carried out for admission into certain programs in this university.
4. MDI Gurgaon
Established in the year 1973, MDI is a popular private university in Delhi NCR founded by the Industrial Finance Corporation of India.
This institute is considered the training hub for managers, as almost 68000 managers have been trained to perfection from here. A good percentile of over 93 of CAT is a must to get admitted into MDI.
5. Institute of Management Technology (Ghaziabad)
Ranked among the top 10 business schools in India, the Institute of Management Technology’s main campus is situated in Ghaziabad.
This institute is also counted among the top 5 private business schools in the northern region of India. Getting admitted into a management program through CAT in this college is an impressive achievement.
6. IMI Delhi
The international management institute, popularly known as IMI, was established in the year 1981. It is a private business school and is well known for its ability to provide students with a perfect learning environment.
This institute also achieved its big milestone when the batch of 2020 to 2022 had a 100% placement record.
7. JBIMS Mumbai
At Mumbai University, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies – popularly known as JBIMS – is part of the management department.
This department is famous for delivering high-quality education to its students and in turn rolling out perfect individuals in the sector of management. 90 percentile or above CAT score is required to enroll in this prestigious college.
8. SPJIMR, Mumbai
S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research – popularly known as SPJIMR – was founded in the year 1981. This institute is known for offering its students a decent number of regular and part-time programs in the field of management.
The final placements of this institute are considered to be at the level of top IIMs.
9. SDA Bocconi Mumbai
Ranked the third position in the list of top business schools in Europe and 13th in the world – the Asia center for this university is situated in Mumbai, and it provides high-quality education to its students.
The placement record is also very decent, and hence top CAT percentiles choose to enroll in this research institute.
10. Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai
According to the NIRF ranking 2021, Great Lakes Institute of Management earned the spot of 24 for MBA.
Admissions to this institute are one the basis of CAT, XAT/GMAT/CMAT, and so on. Additionally to these exams, this university also carries out its entrance exam – GLAT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is studying from recommended CAT books enough to score well in the exam?
Studying the recommended CAT books is a good way of clearing concepts and creating a strong base for the examination, but they are never enough.
Hence along with studying from the recommended CAT books, the aspirants should always practice a lot of mock tests, sample papers, and previous year papers to assess their level of preparation.
Q2. How many mock tests should I give for CAT?
The number of mock tests that one chooses to give for CAT preparation is totally up to the personal capacity of students.
However, giving a rough number of 25 to 30 mock tests is generally considered enough to secure a decent percentile in this exam.
Toppers have admitted to giving close to 50 mock tests too.
Q3. What should I do one day before the CAT exam?
Aspirants should always ensure that one day before their CAT exam they never inflict too much stress upon themselves. A little revision along with going out to get some fresh air is often advised in such situations.
Along with that, aspirants should also ensure that they sleep and wake up on time, and get adequate rest.
Q4. What are the best books for CAT recommended by toppers?
A few of the many best books for cat preparation recommended by toppers are How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma for logical reasoning, How to Prepare for Verbal Ability, and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meena Upadhyay, and Quantum CAT by Arihant.
Q5. CAT Preparation books all in one
For students looking for a CAT preparation book that is all-in-one, it is best to go for Chapter-Wise Solved Previous Years' Papers for CAT By Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay.
Aspirants can practice efficiently through this book, and they would not have to look anywhere else for mock tests.
