You do not need a long list of books for CAT. A few good books, plenty of mocks and consistent analysis are enough. This page lists commonly used resources, grouped by section.
Popular books by section
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT (Arun Sharma); Quantitative Aptitude (Nishit K. Sinha); NCERT Maths Class 9-10 for basics.
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT (Arun Sharma); past CAT DILR sets.
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT (Arun Sharma); Word Power Made Easy (Norman Lewis) for reading vocabulary.
Free resources
- CAT previous year question papers for practice
- The official mock test on iimcat.ac.in, when it is released
- Newspapers and magazines such as The Hindu, Mint and The Economist for reading practice
- Free sectional tests and YouTube lessons from coaching institutes
How to use mocks
- 1Take your first full mock early to find your baseline.
- 2Take 1 to 2 mocks a week, and increase to 2 to 3 in the last 6 weeks.
- 3Spend as much time on analysis as on the test itself.
- 4Tag every mistake as concept, silly mistake or time management.
- 5Re-attempt the questions you got wrong after one week.
Online course or self-study?
Self-study works well if you are disciplined and have strong basics. Coaching or an online course helps most with structure, mocks and doubt solving. Choose what fits your schedule and budget, and do not buy more than one full course.
CAT 2026 Study Material FAQs
Which is the best book for CAT preparation?+
There is no single best book. Many candidates use Arun Sharma's three books along with previous year papers and mocks.
How many mocks should I take?+
A total of 10 to 15 full-length mocks with proper analysis is enough for most candidates.
More on CAT 2026
Source & Disclaimer
Official source: iimcat.ac.in
Information on this page is compiled from the official CAT notification at iimcat.ac.in and trends from earlier cycles. Dates marked Expected are estimates, not official announcements. Please confirm all details on the official website.