Updated on 3rd June 2025 | 10:30 AM | #BestCATBooks
Best Books For CAT Preparation 2025: When we talk about CAT exam preparation, the biggest question that arises is – “What are the ideal CAT preparation books?”
Most of the best books for CAT exam often contain similar content and resources. There is a plethora of CAT books available online, but most of the material is either irrelevant or excessive and not in line with the latest CAT requirements. To help you save time and effort, we have collated a list of the best CAT exam books to aid you in the preparation for each section.
Aspirants should understand the guidelines for choosing the CAT study material best suited for CAT 2025 to aid their preparation. An aspirant's preparation level and understanding of CAT books and materials should guide the selection of appropriate resources for their CAT preparation.
There are several factors that should be considered before deciding on the best books for CAT preparation.
Over the last 29 years, Career Launcher has ticked off all these markers of having the best CAT study material, revised regularly based on the latest exam patterns for all the management entrance exams, and we are ever-evolving in our strive to provide the best to our students.
We offer comprehensive CAT preparation books based on the latest patterns that are beneficial for all CAT 2025 and other MBA exam aspirants, including:
CL's CAT study material is updated every year based on the changes in the actual examination and covers all the relevant questions and offers solution videos as part of the premium package to help analyze weaker areas and develop an efficient exam strategy.
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The best books for CAT preparation have to be on similar grounds to the CAT 2025 syllabus and provide in-depth details of all the topics in each section of CAT, namely VARC, DILR, and QA. In addition to the best CAT books & study material, candidates should opt for the books containing ample mock tests and CAT 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 |
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. |
Relevant content |
The best books for CAT preparation should be 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. |
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 advisable 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. |
Are you looking for the best books to prepare for CAT 2025? When you are selecting the best CAT books, you should take every section of CAT 2025 into consideration. Whether you're concentrating on Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability, or Verbal Ability, these books are meant to help you do well in every area.
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 |
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 |
GP Ka Funda Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Gautam Puri |
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
RS Aggarwal |
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 2025 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 2025.
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 free CAT mock tests available online that every candidate should attempt. Solving these mocks will check your readiness for the upcoming CAT intake. Taking these mock tests would be the perfect practice since it would allow you to solve the sections under the same circumstances as the actual CAT paper, including the same time limit and exam pressure.
In addition to the above-mentioned books and additional material, practice is the best way to improve your performance in CAT 2025. Try to read as much as possible, especially newspapers, which 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.
Here are some reasons why you should invest time in selecting the best books for CAT preparation 2025 as follows:
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.
The must-have CAT preparation books recommended by CL experts would be:
CAT Preparation Books |
Author |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Gautam Puri |
GP Ka Funda Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Gautam Puri |
Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT |
Arun Sharma / Sarvesh Verma / Nishit Sinha ( any ) |
Verbal Ability for CAT |
Nishit Sinha / Meenakshi Upadhyay |
But do keep it in mind, only purchasing these books won’t fetch you any good; practice is the ultimate solution. For better results:
Yes definitely! - A good study material is a must for preparing for CAT 2025, as it provides a lot of practice questions of varied difficulty along with detailed chapter-wise concepts and helps you get familiarized with the type of questions asked in the exam. Thus, it is extremely important to get ideal study material from some reputed institutes, ensuring they are aligned with the latest patterns.
Wren and Martin's High School English Grammar is an excellent choice for improving your grammar skills. It's an excellent CAT preparation book for building a strong foundation for VARC.
Yes, CL's CAT study material and books offer chapter-wise exercises and sample questions, along with solutions. Most books provide hundreds of practice questions across various subjects, categorized by difficulty levels (easy, moderate, and hard), along with video solutions through QR scanning.
CL's CAT books are beginner-friendly; they provide detailed concept clarity along with multiple ways of solving a particular problem. Apart from these, beginners should start with NCERT books and English grammar books by Wren & Martin to build their foundational knowledge.