Updated By Abhinav Chamoli on 27 Nov, 2020 17:32
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Candidates aspiring to appear in the CAT entrance exam should be well aware of best books for CAT 2020 preparation. CAT is one of the most popular management entrances in India. This in turn establishes the fact that the level of competition in this exam is very high. Studying from the best books for CAT will help you succeed in the exam.
Books are considered to be the best and the most effective medium for gaining knowledge. Detailed knowledge about the different topics present in the CAT syllabus is required to crack the entrance. To meet such needs, candidates refer to various preparatory books. Nowadays the market is flooded with a number of books which leads to confusion among the student about which book to choose. There are certain instructions that have been provided by us in the section below that will help the candidates to choose the best and the most relevant books for CAT examination.
Candidates are also advised to go through the syllabus of CAT 2020. Only then can they choose appropriate books to prepare for the entrance. Collegedekho has also provided the section-wise list for various sections of the CAT 2020 syllabus. It is advisable to go through the page with utter diligence and concentration to end all confusions related to this particular topic.
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The syllabus of CAT 2020 can be divided into the following sections - Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. Candidates should prepare separately for the different sections of the syllabus. We have provided section-wise preparatory books for preparation of CAT 2020 in the table below:
Quantitative Aptitude |
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Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
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Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
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QA can be a time-consuming section where your approach to the questions matters a lot for success. It is considered to be the toughest of all sections and a lot of practice is required to build up speed and accuracy in this section. Plus, you will find that each teacher / author has their own set of tips and tricks to solve questions but what matters is the method you are most compatible with. Given below are some of the best books you can use for CAT QA preparation.
| Book | Author/Publisher | What Makes it Good |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Arun Sharma | One of the best and highly recommended books for preparing numerical section. The difficulty-level wise division makes it easy to understand for a candidate at any level. Published by TMH, it is also quite reliable. |
| Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K Verma | This books features a wide variety of questions and maintains the level of difficulty as well. It explains multiple ways to solve a single question, which helps to understand difficult concepts. |
| Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha | This book is published by the Pearson education and covers new updates and additions including equations, coordinate geometry, number system, etc. |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examination | Abhijit Guha | Published by Tata McGraw-Hill, this book covers almost all topics required for CAT preparation. |
Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability (QA) - Check Expert Advice, Tips and Tricks
DI&LR is a section where a candidate's logical and analytical abilities are tested. The section requires a proper understanding of concepts and an analytical approach towards any given question. Unlike QA, success in this section is not merely dependent on tips and tricks but it also requires immense practice and out-of-the-box thinking to make solving difficult questions easier. These are some of the best books to prepare for the DILR section in CAT 2020/
| Book | Author | What Makes it Good |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun Sharma | One of the top-recommended books for CAT preparation, it is a good all-round choice containing an ample number of problems, teachers quick solving methods, and is updated as per the latest syllabus. |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha | Sinha's book has good coverage of basics as well as advanced concepts used in DILR. His approach to teaching by using examples is preferred by many students. |
| A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal | R S Aggarwal is one of the most well-known authors on this list. His book is known for its simplicity of language, which makes it easier to understand for a wider range of students. This is a good book for basics but cannot be recommended for advanced studies. |
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun Sharma | A reasoning book written with CAT in mind, this book contains clear explanations of different topics followed by practice questions. Provides a step-by-step increment in difficulty level, which makes it easy to advance to a higher level of questions. |
Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning - Expert Advice, Tips and Tricks
VARC is a section that focuses on how well a candidate is able to use and understand English. It requires proper knowledge of grammar, decent vocabulary, good reading speeds and the ability to find out important information from long passages. Candidates who are regular readers get an advantage in this section but it still can be cracked with the help of regular practice and a good book. Some of the best VARC books for CAT are as follows.
| Book | Author | What Makes it Good |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal | R S Aggarwal's take on Verbal Reasoning is again given in simple, easy to understand language with lots of questions to practice available in the book. The book has simple explanations and is the best choice for a beginner. |
| Word Power Made Easy | Normal Lewis | The go-to recommendation when it comes to improving Vocabulary, this is the most popular book on this list. It is not written particularly for CAT but still provides an excellent resource to learn new words, which is very valuable for success in VARC. |
| The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning | Nishit Sinha | A good book having that covers both VA and RC sections nicely. |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension for CAT | Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay | Apart from various tips and tricks to tackle different questions, this book also has the latest exam pattern so that the candidates can become familiar with the paper. |
Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) - Expert Advice, Tips
While these books have been recommended to tackle the CAT question paper, you must also try and stay updated with the latest national and international news by reading newspapers and magazines regularly, by watching news channels and listening to the radio. Keeping a track of daily news will help you achieve success in further admission rounds of B-Schools, which may include GD & PI and WAT.
Candidates should keep the pointers given below in mind while choosing books for the preparation of CAT 2020:
Candidates should always go for the books which have been published recently and is of the latest edition. The syllabus of the entrance keeps on getting changed and updated from time to time. Preparing from the books of the latest edition and publishing year will help the candidates to know about the updated version of the syllabus.
Candidates should select books which mainly focus on exam preparation strategy, sample papers and previous years’ question papers.
They should also go for the books written by renowned authors and published from reputed publishing houses. It is to be noted that the popularity and goodwill can only be gained if the content is good. Certain books are popular for a reason, they provide the candidates with authentic information which can turn out to be effective in the preparation process.
Candidates can also refer to the books and study materials provided by the coaching institutes. These books explain difficult topics in simple ways.
They should always compare the content of a few books dealing with similar topics before choosing one for the purpose of preparation.
Want to know more about CAT
Dear Student,
CAT 2020 does not have any seat reservations for Socially and Economically Backward Students (SEBC). You can find more information about the same in our article on the CAT 2020 seat reservation policy.
Please feel free to write back to us if you require any other information. For help with admission to MBA colleges in India, please fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or call our helpline number 18005729877.
Thank you.
READ MORE...Dear Student,
You have to submit any available certificates with the CAT 2020 undertaking. However, CAT 2020 exam dates have now been revised and the deadline to submit the CAT 2020 application form has been extended to 23rd September to help candidates get sufficient time to arrange any certificates.
Please feel free to write back if you have any other queries,
Thank you.
READ MORE...Dear Student,
Yes, the syllabus of banking and CAT exam is almost the same. However, the level of difficulty of the CAT exam is very difficult compared to the banking exam. The SSC or IBPS PO coaching will help you understand the basics of Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability and English Language. You can directly proceed to solve the advance level questions of CAT exam without going through the basics. The coaching will help you while preparing for other MBA entrance exams such as MAT, CMAT, GMAT or XAT. You can check the detailed syllabus of CAT exam provided here. Besides ...
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You can buy books for CAT from online stores such as Flipkart, Amazon or Meripustak. Besides this, you can also purchase them from the market.
Yes, most of the books available for CAT preparation contain sample papers. You can check the book before buying it.
No, books are not enough for CAT preparation. You should try to solve the maximum number of previous years’ question paper of CAT to improve your percentile.
It totally depends on you. You can choose a separate book for all the sections or buy a common book for all the sections for CAT preparation.
You should choose the books which explain things in a detailed and simple manner. Besides this, books that which also have sample questions along with shortcut techniques to solve those type of question are also recommended.
You can refer to the NCERT Books of Class 10th, 11th and 12th. Besides this, Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S Aggarwal and Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha are also recommended for self-study.
Some of the recommended books for Quant are Sarvesh K Verma's Quantum CAT, Arun Sharma's How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT or Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha.
No, you should not depend on NCERT books for complete preparation of CAT exam. You should refer to a few other books which are recommended by toppers and experts.
You can select the best books which cover each and every topic of CAT or you can select a separate book for all the sections. It is recommended that you must select the books that also include a few sample papers.
There are many best books available for each section of CAT 2020. Some of them are Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S Aggarwal, Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey and Quick Learning Objective General English by R.S.Aggarwal and Vikas Aggarwal.
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