When it comes to CAT 2024 preparation, the biggest question that arises is, what are the ideal books to refer to? This often leads to delays in the CAT preparation journey as students have a plethora of books to consider. However, the question regarding the relevance of this remains the same for you. What are the best books for CAT preparation? This is a question that students often have when they begin their CAT journey. There is added confusion owing to the wide variety of books and study materials online. To help you save time and effort, we have collated a list of the best books to aid you in the preparation of each section.
Most of the preparation books are often contain similar content and resources. However, aspirants should be able to understand the guidelines for choosing the books best suited to their preparation. An aspirant's own preparation level and understanding of the material should guide the selection of books for CAT prep.
There are several factors that should be considered before deciding on the best books for CAT preparation. Numerous publishers have been producing CAT study material from the beginning and have a good reputation. However, the right kind of books that candidates should rely on should be those based on the latest CAT exam pattern and covering all topics from each section.
The best books for CAT preparation have to be on similar grounds to the CAT syllabus and provide in-depth details of all the topics in each section of CAT, namely VARC, DILR, and QA. In addition to the books based on study material, candidates should opt for books containing mock tests and previous year papers with solutions for effective preparation.
Here are the important parameters that should be kept in mind when creating a booklist for CAT preparation-
Parameters |
Details |
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Latest Edition |
It is very important to choose a book based on the latest exam pattern to have a better idea of the actual exam. Books covering the entire syllabus can provide a better overview of the exam. Though old editions would also work, they might not include the most recent changes in the syllabus or exam pattern. |
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Relevant content |
Best books for CAT preparation should be the those that cover most of the important topics, come with a lot of solved examples, proper practice questions, answer keys with different shortcut-solving methods, past year CAT papers, etc. These are the ones you should go for. |
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Reliable Publisher |
A publisher is reliable if the books are rich in content, trusted by students across the country, and have received positive feedback for years. It is always advised to conduct your research on digital platforms like Amazon and Quora while searching for the material to attest to the publisher's credibility. Try buying books authored by a well-established CAT-veteran. |
Success in the VARC section depends entirely on your reading and comprehension skills, along with consistent practice of related questions. Past analysis shows that scoring well in VARC is comparatively easier than in the other two sections.
Here are some books that you can refer to improve your VARC section:
In case you do not find any of the above-mentioned books in the market, the below-mentioned replacements will be equally good and advantageous:
|
Book |
Author |
|
PSC for VA for CAT |
Nishit Sinha |
|
High School English Grammar |
Wren and Martin |
|
Past Years' CAT Questions |
GK Publications |
|
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
9th and 10th Grammar Books |
Apart from these books, practice is the best way to improve your performance in this section and in the CAT Preparation in general. Reading as much as possible would help especially when it comes to newspapers since it allows the candidate to remain knowledgeable about the current affairs in the world as well (which can be helpful in the group discussion and interview rounds).
The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section is the most unpredictable and trickiest section of all because of the wide variety of questions that can potentially be asked. Due to the lack of a fixed exam structure or pattern, it becomes difficult to prepare for this section. However, consistent practise and solving a variety of difficult questions can boost your confidence for this section.
Here are certain books that can help you prepare well for the DILR section:
In case you do not find any of the above-mentioned books in the market, the following booklist will be equally good and advantageous:
Book |
Author |
|
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
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Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Gautam Puri |
|
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT |
Pearson |
The Quantitative Ability section is the section for which the majority of candidates spend the most time preparing, as it can be well predicted in advance and has a limited syllabus to cover.
The major reason for this is that in the QA section, there is a rough syllabus that the candidates can use to plan their preparation. Here, are certain books that you can refer to while preparing for quants:
In case you do not find any of the above-mentioned books in the market, the below-mentioned replacements will be equally good and advantageous:
|
Book |
Author |
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Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
RS Aggarwal |
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Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
Ajay Singh |
|
Quantitative Aptitude for All Competitive Examinations |
Abhijit Guha |
Most of the syllabus of the QA section is derived from Class 9 and 10 Mathematics, so establishing your command over these textbooks is generally a good way to begin the CAT Preparation for QA.
The other sources of practice for QA would be similar to the DILR and VARC sections. The study materials from the coaching classes and the past CAT Papers can be used as practice material to ensure that you are as prepared as possible.
Along with the best books for CAT preparation, you can also refer to the following resources to take your preparation to the next level thereby increasing your chances of scoring well in CAT 2024.
One of the best options for practicing the questions would be going through past year’s CAT papers and looking out for questions that seem extremely challenging. It will provide you with an idea of the actual exam. In case you are not able to solve the questions on your own, social groups like Facebook, Quora, and Reddit can come to your immediate rescue. This is also one of the recently discovered, fast and reliable ways to prepare for CAT.
Believe in the study material provided by your coaching center. Such material is individually designed keeping in mind the candidate’s present situation, earnestness, and the need of the hour. These books are not a thoroughfare and can only be bought if the person is associated with that training center.
Another good source of CAT Preparation is the ‘mock tests’ that every candidate should be attempting. Solving the DILR section in the mock tests would be the perfect practice since it would allow you to solve the section in the same circumstances as the actual CAT paper including the same time limit and the exhaustion after solving the VARC section before it.
In addition to the above-mentioned books and additional material, practice is the best way to improve your performance in CAT 2024. Try to read as much as possible, especially newspapers would be a great source of information and reading, as it allows the candidate to remain knowledgeable about current affairs in the world, which can be helpful in the group discussion and interview rounds.
Choosing the right books and study material plays a vital role in the preparation for any entrance exam. Providing you with a set of questions and providing detailed explanations for your doubts, boosts your confidence. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a list of relevant books will aid a candidate's preparation.
However, here are some reasons why you should invest time in selecting the best books for CAT preparation 2024 as follows:
CL's MBA courseware is an exhaustive offering for MBA/CAT aspirants, who intend to do self-preparation. The material is being updated every year based on the changes in the actual examination and has been a dependable & trusted aid amongst the MBA aspirants.
Therefore, it can be concluded that there is no particular set of best books for CAT preparation, just like there is no perfect study plan. It varies from one CAT aspirant to another, as one that may be the right fit may not be for the other. However, scoring well in CAT requires discipline and dedication along with effective preparation, for which enough study material is available to ensure that you are adequately prepared.
To get your hands on the best books for CAT Preparation compiled by Career Launcher, click here.