Best Books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude: An Ultimate Guide to Success

Best Books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude: An Ultimate Guide to Success

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CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 13 Sep' 25

Updated on 01 Jul 2025, 11:55 AM IST

Best Books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude: Finding the right books for CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude is a critical step toward building a strong foundation for your overall exam preparation. The Quantitative Aptitude section plays a significant role in determining your overall CAT percentile, making it essential to choose study material that aligns well with the CAT 2025 exam pattern and syllabus. High-quality books not only help in developing conceptual clarity but also provide a wide range of practice questions, ranging from basic to advanced levels, based on previous trends.

This Story also Contains

  1. CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
  2. Best CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude
  3. Selecting the Best CAT Preparation Book for Quants
Best Books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude: An Ultimate Guide to Success
Best Books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude

To maximise your score in the CAT 2025 Quant section, it’s important to focus on resources that offer topic-wise coverage, detailed explanations, shortcut techniques, and previous year-type questions. In this article, we've curated a list of the best books for CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude, designed to support focused preparation and help you build accuracy and speed, two crucial factors for cracking CAT 2025 successfully.

CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus

Majorly, all the CAT quant books cover the same CAT quant syllabus, important topics and concepts. The only difference between them is the degree of clarity and precision they offer in explaining concepts. Some of the key topics from the CAT 2025 Quant syllabus are listed below.

CAT Quant Syllabus

Time, Speed and Distance

Check here

Ratio and Proportion

Check here

Percentages

Check here

Best CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude

Listed below are some of the top preparation books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation, including popular choices like Arun Sharma’s book, Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Kumar Verma, and RS Aggarwal’s Quantitative Aptitude. While Arun Sharma’s book remains a favourite among many aspirants, several other excellent resources are also available to help you strengthen your Quant preparation for CAT.

Name of the Book

Authors/Publisher

Overview

Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations

RS Agarwal/ S Chand

It covers topics chapter-wise and has exercises at the end of each chapter.

How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT

Arun Sharma/ Tata McGraw-Hill

Having easy-to-understand content and CAT mock tests makes it one of the Best Books for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT.

Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT

Arihant

It provides step-wise solutions and solved sample exercises.

Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT

Nishit K Sinha/Pearson

Focusing on the question difficulty levels as per the CAT syllabus, it provides warm-up, foundation, moderate, and advanced level practice questions.

Quantum CAT

Sarvesh Verma

It covers all the important basic formulas for CAT QA.

Quantitative Aptitude for CAT

Dinesh K Sinha

With lots of exercises along with full-length tests, it is considered the best CAT Quantitative Aptitude Book.

Quantitative Aptitude for CAT

Trishna Knowledge Systems

IT covers a wide range of CAT topics and practice material.

Selecting the Best CAT Preparation Book for Quants

Many CAT aspirants often feel confused about what to study and which is the best book for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT. They also struggle to identify what features to look for in a good CAT preparation guide. To overcome these challenges, candidates must first understand the key qualities of a good Quantitative Aptitude book for CAT. This will help them choose the right resource that aligns with their learning style and preparation needs.

Qualities of the Best Quantitative Aptitude Book for CAT Preparation

  • Comprehensive Coverage: The book must cover all the important topics from the latest CAT syllabus 2025.

  • Clear and concise explanations: A best CAT Quant book must have clear and easy-to-understand content with good examples.

  • Revision notes and practice material: After each chapter, there should be practice questions, and at the end, each CAT topic must have revision notes or a chapter summary with important pointers.

  • CAT-specific focus: The main focus of CAT quantitative aptitude books must be on the CAT 2025 exam pattern, question types, and the CAT quantitative aptitude section difficulty level.

  • Accuracy and error-free content: The content of a good quant book for CAT preparation must be error-free with utmost accuracy.

  • CAT mock tests: This is the main part of any MBA entrance exam preparation, so having a good full-length CAT mock test is essential.

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Check out: Free CAT 2025 Study Material for QA, DILR, VARC and Exam Preparation Books

Tips to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude

Here are some effective tips and strategies to help you crack the CAT 2025 exam with a high percentile, especially in the Quantitative Aptitude section. Following a structured approach, practising regularly, and focusing on conceptual clarity can significantly boost your performance. We have also attached a table below containing some of the most important resources required for CAT 2025 preparation. Make sure to check them out!

Strengthen Your Basics
Begin with building a strong foundation in fundamental concepts like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number System, and Modern Math. Use NCERT books (Class 6–10) if needed.

Choose the Right Books
Refer to trusted resources and CAT Study Material like Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma, Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K. Verma, and RS Aggarwal’s Quantitative Aptitude for topic-wise practice.

Practice Topic-wise Questions
Focus on one topic at a time. Solve easy to difficult level questions to gain confidence and improve speed gradually.

Understand the Exam Pattern
Familiarise yourself with the CAT Quant section structure — typically 22 questions with a mix of MCQs and TITA (Type in the Answer) questions.

Time Management is Key
Practice solving questions under timed conditions to improve speed and accuracy. Don’t spend too much time on a single question during mocks.

Focus on High-Weightage Topics
Prioritise Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry; these topics usually carry the most weight in the Quant section.

Analyse Mocks and Sectional Tests
Regularly take mock tests and review your performance. Analyse your errors and revise weak areas thoroughly.

Shortcuts and Mental Math
Learn calculation tricks and Vedic Math techniques to save time during the exam.

Maintain a Formula Sheet
Keep a separate notebook or sheet with important formulas, shortcuts, and concepts for quick revision.

Revise Regularly
Keep revisiting concepts and formulas weekly. Continuous revision is key to long-term retention.

Also Read:

Explore these helpful resources to boost your CAT 2025 preparation with focused strategies and topic-wise insights:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the best book for CAT Quantitative Aptitude?
A:

The best book depends on your learning style. Some top recommendations are How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma and Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K. Verma.

Q: How can I improve my speed in solving CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions?
A:

Regular practice with timed mock tests, solving easier questions first, and learning shortcuts will help improve your speed.

Q: What are the key topics to focus on for CAT Quantitative Aptitude?
A:

The most important topics are Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Number System. These usually carry the most weight in the exam.

Q: Should I start with basic books like the NCERT for CAT Quant preparation?
A:

Yes, especially if you're weak in basics. NCERT books for Class 6-10 can help you build a strong foundation in fundamental concepts.

Q: How many mock tests should I take for CAT Quant preparation?
A:

Aim to take at least 1-2 mock tests per week and analyse your performance to identify areas that need improvement.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Yes, you can fill the CAT form even if you currently have a backlog. CAT eligibility requires you to be in your final year of graduation or already graduated backlogs don’t stop you from applying.

While filling the form:

  • Enter the aggregate percentage/CGPA of marks you have obtained up to the latest semester for which results are declared (in your case till 4th semester).

  • There will be an option to mention that you have a backlog.

  • If you clear the backlog later, you’ll just need to show the updated marks during admission.

Hello Aspirant,

Yes, you can apply for the CAT exam as a final-year student. You must declare your backlog on the online application form. You do not write about it on the final-year student certificate; that document is to certify your enrollment status. You must clear all backlogs before the final admission process to any MBA college.

Hello,

Thank you for your question!

KL- MAT syllabus: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English/Verbal Ability, and General Awareness (similar to MAT/CMAT pattern).

CAT scores are valid in many private universities including KL University, but always check the year’s admission notification.

CAT vs other exams: CAT is toughest (IIMs + top B-schools), while MAT/CMAT/ATMA are relatively easier and accepted by many mid-level private universities.

Hello it will clear your doubt!

Hello Aspirant,

  1. I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.

Here's why:

  • "a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.

  • "The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.

  • "an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."

  • "a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.

  • "the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."

Hello Kapish

You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.

Here's the link: CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR: CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360

Thank You!!!