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Cracking CAT 2025 requires more than just long hours of study—it demands a smart and well-planned approach. To excel, you need to know the exam structure, syllabus details, sectional topics, and key dates, and then focus on high-quality CAT study materials that match the exam level. In this article, you’ll find expert tips, recommended books, section-wise eBooks, and study resources to prepare effectively for CAT 2025 and maximize your score potential.
Candidates can follow the steps given below to download the CAT 2025 admit card.
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Analyse what a candidate would do if they had a suggestion that could not be carried out. Difficult? Whether you choose to do self study for CAT 2025 or crack CAT 2025 with coaching, keep in mind that the CAT 2025 preparation material will be the most critical factor in your success. If applicants are looking for preparation materials, there are many options available both online and offline.
Below is a general CAT exam preparation strategy that any candidate can follow to build an overall preparation plan.
Check the CAT 2025 syllabus completely and understand the CAT exam pattern 2025 better.
Get books and other CAT study materials recommended by experts.
Join online MBA study groups on Telegram, Quora, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.
Create a monthly timetable, a weekly timetable, and a daily timetable.
Stick to the CAT preparation strategy and timetable for the best results
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Candidates who are well-prepared for the CAT 2025 will have a better chance of scoring well. Candidates who prepare with coaching institutions may find it easier to get excellent material. However, such applicants must not be comfortable with minimal resources like the CAT 2025 books. However, candidates can also prepare for CAT without coaching using self-study.
Well, for all those candidates who are preparing for CAT for the first time, it might be difficult to figure out what books they should purchase. From where can I get sample papers? Should they rely on the self-preparation of notes or buy them from online/offline sources? Well, wait, all these things that we discussed just now are all part of your CAT 2025 preparation material. Let's take a look at each component carefully.
The richness of Content: Preparation material that is rich in content will only be good for the CAT. The preparation material’s information must be according to the reader’s requirements. Complete details related to the topics that help in understanding the syllabus content easily and accurately will be considered good material
Author’s Credibility: Before picking any preparation material, applicants should ensure it is reputable enough to be referred to. CAT 2025. Preparation materials are reasonably priced on the market. Some are first-time writers attempting to give appropriate preparation material, while others are seasoned authors who will provide excellent CAT 2025 preparation material. As a result, before picking CAT 2025 important topics for preparation, applicants ought to examine the author and consider using them as a CAT preparation guide.
Best books for CAT preparation
CAT question papers
Mock test of CAT entrance exam
CAT sample papers
E-Books of cat
Let’s see each component one by one in the descriptive form:
After analysing the syllabus for CAT 2025, it is most likely that all candidates will find books that cover the overall topics. Getting the best books for CAT may be complicated and hectic if you do not know where to find them. Some of the books based on each section are given below.
For Quantitative Ability Section:
| S.No | Book Name | Author / Publisher | Why It’s Useful for CAT 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Arun Sharma | Comprehensive coverage of all QA topics, with step-by-step methods and practice questions. |
| 2 | Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K. Verma | Offers advanced-level problems, shortcut techniques, and past CAT questions for practice. |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha | Provides topic-wise practice, detailed solutions, and tricks to improve speed and accuracy. |
| 4 | Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma | Covers all important arithmetic concepts, with solved examples and shortcut methods. |
| 5 | CAT QA Workbook | TIME / Career Launcher | Includes a variety of problems, sectional tests, and strategies for effective CAT 2025 preparation. |
For Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Section
| S.No | Book Name | Author / Publisher | Why It’s Useful for CAT 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay | Comprehensive coverage of RC, grammar, vocabulary, and verbal reasoning exercises. |
| 2 | Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | Helps build strong vocabulary with contextual usage, essential for RC and verbal sections. |
| 3 | High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren & Martin | Classic guide for grammar, sentence correction, and usage questions in CAT VARC. |
| 4 | Logical & Analytical Reasoning for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha | Focuses on comprehension-based reasoning and analytical passages. |
| 5 | Objective English for Competitive Exams | Hari Mohan Prasad | Offers practice in grammar, vocabulary, and RC questions with detailed explanations. |
| 6 | CAT VARC Workbook | TIME / Career Launcher | Includes section-wise practice, RC passages, grammar exercises, and solved examples for CAT 2025 preparation. |
Note that for this section, reading and improving vocabulary is the key. Read newspapers like The Hindu, The Economist, Business Standard etc.,
For the Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Section
| S.No | Book Name | Author / Publisher | Why It’s Useful for CAT 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma | Covers all types of DI sets, step-by-step methods, and practice questions for speed and accuracy. |
| 2 | How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun Sharma | Offers diverse reasoning problems, tricks, and shortcut techniques to improve problem-solving skills. |
| 3 | Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha | Includes sectional strategies, practice exercises, and detailed explanations for quick learning. |
| 4 | Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K. Verma | Provides advanced-level reasoning and DI sets, past CAT questions, and time-saving techniques. |
| 5 | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha | Focused approach for mixed sets, puzzle-type questions, and sectional mock tests for practice. |
| 6 | CAT DILR Workbook | TIME / Career Launcher | Offers a large set of practice problems, previous years’ questions, and structured solutions for exam readiness. |
The importance of solving previous year's questions cannot be ignored by candidates. Topper of CAT, Vishesh Garg, said that he solved question papers for CAT entrance exams to know what kind of questions came. He practised the question papers of CAT to make his time management skills strong while solving all the questions. In CAT, sectional timing is allotted to each section; hence, candidates must know the best possible way of solving the questions. Hence, the toppers of CAT suggest that solving previous years' or CAT sample papers helps a lot.
Practice Now with Past 10 years CAT Question Papers with Solutions
The Indian Institute of Management administers the CAT and will offer students a CAT mock test 2025 to simulate the actual exam day atmosphere. Mock tests may assist applicants in understanding how much time they need to finish each question and how to travel between various parts based on the difficulty level of the CAT. The CAT 2025 mock exam is quite comparable to the actual CAT. It will feature three components.
You can practice for CAT 2025 with CAT 2025 Mock Test Series - 20 Sets, Questions with Solutions By Experts
Attempt Now: CAT 2025 Mock Test
According to CAT topper Ashish Sen, all candidates who wish to crack the CAT entrance exam must try to solve the sample CAT papers. After solving a set of more than 30–40 sample papers for CAT, candidates will reach a point where they will not find any new types of questions. The wording or arrangement of questions may change; however, the basic structure of the question remains the same. Solving previous year question papers gives an added advantage to candidates.
Practice Now with CAT 2025 Sample Papers with Solutions
CAT 2025 preparation e-books provide focused digital study material for Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, and DILR sections. They include structured content, practice questions, and detailed solutions to help aspirants revise efficiently. These e-books allow flexible study anytime, making CAT preparation 2025 more organised and effective.
eBook Title | Download Links |
3000+ Most Important Words - Vocabulary Builder | |
500+ Most Important Idioms and Phrases | |
300+ Most Important Phrasal Verbs | |
CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Study Material | |
Permutation & Combination - Video Lectures and Practice Questions | |
Mastering DILR Questions with Expert Solutions | |
CAT 2025 Exam's High Scoring Chapters and Topics | |
Mastering CAT Exam: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages | |
CAT 2025 Mastery: Chapter-wise MCQs for Success for VARC, DILR, Quant | |
CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers | |
CAT DILR Questions with Solution, Download LRDI Questions for CAT |
Scoring the 99th percentile in CAT 2025 requires a strategic, high-performance approach that goes beyond basic preparation. Here are some go-to tips that will help you outperform the competition across all three sections.
Focus on passages from business, science, and philosophy; these make up ~60% of RC questions in past 5 CAT papers.
Practice skimming techniques to identify main ideas and tone quickly.
Solve 3–5 RC passages daily to maintain 80–90% accuracy under time pressure.
Para jumbles contribute ~10–15% of VARC marks; practice sequencing 15–20 per day.
Summarisation questions appear in 5–8% of CAT VARC; focus on capturing core meaning without details.
Use past 3 years’ papers to identify recurring patterns in question framing.
Learn 400 high-frequency words; they cover ~70% of vocabulary-based questions.
Focus on idioms, phrases, and commonly confused words.
Practice grammar-based questions for sentence correction accuracy; they account for 5–8% of VARC questions.
Bar charts, line graphs, and tables appear in ~50% of DI questions.
Prioritize these to improve accuracy and save time for complex sets.
Solve 5–6 DI sets daily from previous CAT papers to build speed.
Seating arrangements, blood relations, and grid-based puzzles make up ~40% of LR questions.
Practice pattern recognition to attempt questions in under 4–5 minutes each.
Track recurring puzzle types from last 3–4 years to focus efforts efficiently.
Track attempt vs. accuracy ratio; 80–85% accuracy is typical for top scorers.
Identify weak puzzle types and dedicate 1–2 daily sessions for improvement.
Time sectional mocks to replicate exam conditions and refine pacing.
Arithmetic (~30%), Algebra (~20%), Geometry (~15%) account for ~65–70% of QA marks.
Focused practice of these areas increases accuracy and confidence.
Solve 150–200 targeted questions per week to master patterns.
Top percentile scorers solve ~28–30 QA questions in 60 minutes with 90%+ accuracy.
Use sectional timed tests to simulate CAT exam conditions.
Prioritize easier questions first to maximize score within limited time.
Track mistakes by topic; consistent analysis improves score by ~10–15 percentile points.
Revise weak topics weekly and integrate short daily practice sessions.
Focus on problem-solving shortcuts and elimination strategies to reduce errors.
Top CAT 2025 scorers don’t just study harder—they study smarter. They follow a structured approach, carefully selecting the right CAT preparation books, e-resources, and mock tests, while keeping track of trends from previous exams. By focusing on accuracy, speed, and consistent revision, these toppers consistently achieve 99+ percentile scores.
Successful candidates focus on topics that carry the most marks. In Quantitative Ability (QA), sections like arithmetic, algebra, and geometry make up a large portion of the exam. For Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), reading comprehension passages on business, science, and philosophy dominate the scoring. By targeting these high-frequency topics, aspirants improve both efficiency and overall CAT 2025 scoring potential.
Top scorers attempt 4–6 full-length CAT 2025 mock tests weekly under timed conditions. Sectional mocks help improve accuracy and manage time effectively. Practising mocks regularly trains aspirants to tackle tricky questions, maintain a consistent pace, and boost performance across all three sections.
CAT toppers spend time studying 5–7 years of previous CAT papers to identify recurring patterns. For instance, grid-based puzzles often appear in Logical Reasoning sets. Analysing past papers allows aspirants to prioritise frequently tested topics and anticipate question difficulty, making targeted preparation for CAT 2025 more effective.
Around 70% of toppers use a mix of traditional books for conceptual clarity and digital resources like PDFs, apps, and online question banks. E-resources provide instant solutions, detailed explanations, and adaptive quizzes, helping aspirants track progress and increase learning efficiency for CAT 2025 preparation.
High scorers dedicate time daily to topics where mistakes occur frequently. By reviewing mock test results, they gradually reduce errors in QA, VARC, and DILR, ensuring weak areas improve without neglecting strong sections. This targeted approach is key for boosting overall CAT 2025 scores.
Disciplined revision sets CAT toppers apart. Revisiting solved questions weekly and practising 3–4 hours daily over several months strengthens shortcuts, formulas, and concepts. Consistent revision combined with mock tests is one of the most reliable ways to reach 99+ percentile in CAT 2025.
A close analysis of past CAT exams (2018–2024) reveals recurring topics that contribute differently to overall scores. Understanding these high weightage CAT topics areas allows aspirants to prioritise study time, focus on scoring questions, and optimise performance under timed conditions. We have provided below sectionwise CAT high weightage topics, based on previous year question paper's analysis.
In Quantitative Aptitude, arithmetic (30% of questions), algebra (20%), and geometry (15%) dominate the syllabus, collectively contributing 65–70% of total QA marks. Within arithmetic, topics like percentages, profit & loss, ratio & proportion, and time-speed-distance appear most frequently. Geometry questions often include triangles, circles, and coordinate geometry. Targeted practice in these areas significantly improves attempt rate and accuracy.
Reading comprehension passages constitute 60% of VARC questions. Business, science, and philosophical passages are most common, with 10–15 questions per exam. Para jumbles (10–15% of VARC marks) and summary questions (5–8%) are recurring patterns. Vocabulary and grammar questions are fewer but high-yield when answered correctly. Focusing on frequent passage types improves reading speed and comprehension accuracy.
Bar graphs, line graphs, tables, and pie charts appear in 50% of DI questions. Multi-set problems with 3–4 linked datasets are increasingly common. Toppers focus on speed-reading numbers, recognising patterns, and using elimination techniques to solve 80–90% of DI questions accurately. Practising previous year DI sets enhances time management and reduces errors.
Seating arrangements, blood relations, and grid-based puzzles dominate LR (40% of questions). Circular seating and linear arrangements are consistently asked in Logical Reasoning. Top scorers analyse past 5–6 years to identify pattern frequency, allowing them to attempt 70–80% of LR questions confidently. Recognising puzzle types saves 5–10 minutes per set.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, online mocks simulate actual CAT conditions, helping aspirants manage time and exam pressure. Data shows toppers attempt 4–6 full-length mocks weekly for best results. They also allow instant performance tracking and topic-wise error analysis.
Previous papers reveal recurring question types, topic weightage, and exam patterns. Analysing them helps aspirants identify high-scoring areas and design focused practice. Regular practice with past papers also improves speed and accuracy under timed conditions.
Top-recommended books include Arun Sharma for QA & DILR, Nishit K Sinha for LR, and Wren & Martin for VARC grammar. These books provide concept clarity, practice questions, and previous year insights. Choosing books aligned with your weak areas improves efficiency.
Ideally, you should begin studying 8 to 10 months prior to your exam to completely cover every topic and devote enough time for revision and sample examinations.
Mock test is important because it helps us to analyse our mistakes, understand the level of preparation for CAT Exam and the exam pattern
On Question asked by student community
Hello
You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions
Hope it will help you!!
Hello dear candidate,
Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.
As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.
Thank you.
If you got 802 marks in Telangana Intermediate and belong to the ST category, you have a fair chance to get admission in a BPT course in 2025, but it depends on the college and cut-off. Most BPT colleges in Telangana ask for 12th marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and some also use the TS EAMCET rank for admission. The cut-off for ST students is usually lower than for general students, but it changes every year. It is better to check the previous year’s cut-offs of the colleges you want to apply to.
Hello, Getting shortlisted for IIM Lucknow or IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) with your profile is challenging, primarily due to your 58% in Class 10th, which significantly impacts the composite score calculation for both institutes. While your 98 percentile CAT score is excellent, and your 24 months of work experience, B.Com (Hons) background (providing academic diversity, especially for IIM-L), and KVS National player status are valuable additions, top IIMs and IITs heavily weigh consistent academic performance. Your 74% in 12th is also on the lower side. IIM Lucknow places substantial weight on 10th and 12th marks, making a call quite difficult despite your strengths. You likely have a relatively better, though still uncertain, chance at IIT Bombay, as their weighting might be slightly less penalizing for past academics compared to IIM-L, and your high CAT score is a major factor. However, the low 10th score remains a significant hurdle for both prestigious institutions.
I hope you found this information helpful and for study related queries you can ask in careers360 app, Have a great day and!
Hey,
You already have a strong profile with the score of 58% in Class 10, 74% in Class 12, and 80% in graduation, but admission in IIT Bombay, Shailesh J Mehta School of Management is quite competitive, especially if you are in general category because the cutoff for general goes to 98.5-99%. Your CAT percentage is impressive but your 10th marks might reduce your score during the shortlisting process. If you perform well in Written Ability Test and Personal Interview, and present your commerce background you still stand a fair chance. But it would also be wise if you have some backups like MDI Gurugram, IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi, where your marks and profile will fit well in their selection range.
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