All popular CAT preparation books claim to solve all of your problems but, in fact, very few can meet all of your test needs. Many CAT preparation material guides have good material on English Proficiency but may have a less-than-average coverage of Quantitative Ability. As such, therefore, if you ask a bookshop for a good CAT preparation guide, you may not find many in its truest sense. The lack of good stand-alone guides containing CAT preparation material may be due to the frequently changing CAT pattern in the past. But the CAT, now conducted online, has become almost standardized, helping the test-takers know about the real CAT.

The books containing the best CAT preparation material are published by reputed publishers. You may pay attention to the following points while buying a guide for CAT preparation material:

1. Buy a book published by a reputed publisher. Buying a cheap guide for CAT Preparation Material from a relatively little-known publisher is better avoided.

2. The CAT preparation material guide should be according to the latest CAT trends. As far as possible, buy the latest edition of the CAT study guide.

3. Most guides containing CAT preparation material also provide a CD alongside for online practice tests. The book you are buying should be accompanied by such a CD otherwise your CAT preparation is just not complete.

4. The guide book ought to have chapters devoted to different topics and tips for shortcuts.

Besides, we strongly recommend that you refer to the following classic books to start preparing for the verbal ability part of the CAT:

1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary –Published by Oxford University Press and Edited by A B Bowie

OR

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2." Word Power Made Easy" – By Norman Lewis (Goal Saab Publishers)

3. "All About Words" – An Adult Approach To Vocabulary Building --- Rosenblum, Nurnberg

4. For basic grammar and sentence correction ---"High School Grammar and Composition" ---- By Wren & Martin

The following CAT preparation material is recommended for the CAT Maths and Reasoning parts:

A. Practice or calculation work on

Decimal – Fraction conversions and vice-versa

Fraction-- Percentage conversions and vice-versa

Tables (From 10-20)

Squares (From 11 - 30) and

Cubes (From 1- 15)

B. Puzzle Books By Late Shakuntala Devi

C. NCERT Mathematics books for classes 5-10 (For review of basic concepts)

You need to use all the CAT study materials listed above before you begin with any other study material for CAT preparation.