Vipra ShrivastavaSenior Manager - Content
CMAT books - Aspirants must choose only the best books for CMAT preparation 2025 having topic-wise explanations as well as sample questions of various difficulty levels for practice. Although the CMAT syllabus is similar to other MBA entrance exams, the type of questions are different. Thus, aspirants must make sure to study from the books that are specially recommended for CMAT exam 2025.Â
CMAT books are available in the market and can be purchased online as well as offline. So those preparing for CMAT 2025 exam, must get hold of the best books for CMAT. The Complete Reference Manual for CMAT by SK Sinha, S Satyanarayan and JS Rana is considered the best book for CMAT preparation. Apart from this book, you should also study from the CMAT books listed below.
Q: Â Is CMAT easier than CAT?
Yes, CMAT is much easier that CAT exam. Despite the fact that CMAT and CAT syllabus are same and that CMAT has two more sections than CAT the former is much easier than the latter. The CAT exam is usually of moderate to high difficulty level, whereas the CMAT exam is of easy to moderate difficulty level.
There are key differences between CMAT and CAT which make the former easier. There is no sectional time limit in CMAT so candidates do not face the pressure of completing a given section within certain time limit. In CAT there are 4-5 Reading Comprehension passages which are 500-600 words, and 12-14 question.
In CMAT there is usually, only one Reading Comprehension passage, having 4 questions. The Quantitative Aptitude questions of CMAT are also easier than CAT and so are Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation questions. It is easier to score high percentile in CMAT as the number of applicants is more than one Lacs less in CAT.
Q: Â How can I prepare for CMAT to secure 100 percentile?
Common Management Admission Test is an online computer based test conducted by the National Testing Agency, India. It is a national-level admission test for facilitating institutions to select suitable students for admission in all management programmes approved by AICTE. According to the exam pattern, the CMAT syllabus for MBA admission is divided into five sections namely, Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation, Language Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, General Awareness, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. If you plan to prepare for CMAT exam, then you have to at least put in four to six hours daily into studying. 345 to 350 marks are expected to secure the 100 percentile and those securing in the range of 285 to 340 marks will obtain 99 to 99.99 percentile. CMAT merit list will include names of all the aspirants scoring CMAT score vs percentile from 0.005 to 100 percentile. Speed is not an issue at all as you have ample time available. Solving 100 questions in 3 hours is quite easy; hence time is not as important as accuracy is. I have slept for 20 to 40 minutes after completing test every year! The range of topics covered has become very important.
Q: Â What is the latest CMAT exam pattern?
Q: Â Can I prepare for CMAT from CAT books?
- CMAT Books for Preparation: Syllabus to Cover
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Logical Reasoning
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Language Comprehension
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation: General Awareness
- Additional CMAT Study Material
- FAQs on CMAT Books and Preparation
CMAT Books for Preparation: Syllabus to Cover
Before checking the list of best books for CMAT exam preparation 2025, check out the section-wise exam syllabus. The CMAT syllabus includes Language Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques, Data Interpretation, General Awareness and nnovation and Entrepreneurship. Given below is the table indicating CMAT syllabus and important topics from which questions are asked.Â
CMAT Syllabus | CMAT Important Topics |
---|---|
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation |
Algebra, Time-Speed-Distance, Mensuration, Allegation & Mixtures, Geometry, Graph, Quadratic and Linear Equations, etc. |
Logical Reasoning |
Analytical Reasoning, Linear Arrangements, Number Series, Matrix Arrangements, Venn Diagram, Blood Relationship Tests, etc. |
Language Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension, Grammar, English Usage Errors, Parajumbles, etc. |
General Awareness |
Economy, Business, World, Politics, Sports, Culture, Society |
Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
Optional paper having questions related to innovation, entrepreneurship and start up business |
Also Read:
Q: Â How many mock tests to attempt to score 99 percentile in CMAT?
Q: Â Is CMAT syllabus the same as that of CAT?
Q: Â What is the benefit of solving official CMAT question papers?
Explore subject-wise topics asked in CMAT
Select your preferred subject
Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
CMAT Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation section is moderately difficult and the questions are mainly asked from Arithmetic. Check the table below for CMAT books for Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation preparation:
CMAT Books |
Author Name/Publisher |
---|---|
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission Into IIMs |
Sarvesh K Verma (Arihant) |
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations |
Abhijit Guha (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
NCERT Mathematics Books for Class 8, 9 and 10 |
NCERT |
Quantitative Aptitude |
Dr RS Aggarwal |
The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams |
Pearson |
Also Read: CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation
VARC Preparation Tips | DILR Preparation Tips | QA Preparation Tips |
Q: Â Can I prepare for CMAT in 6 months?
Yes, 6 months are a decent time duration to prepare for CMAT exam, if one does it with dedication and discipline. Candidates who have appeared for CMAT or any other MBA entrance exam before, will find 6 months more than enough to prepare for the exam. Those, who are appearing in CMAT for the first time, can also prepare in 6 months but they will have to give extra time to it. If you plan a CMAT preparation in six months, make a three stage plan. In the first stage, which will be of 3 months, complete the CMAT syllabus, in the second phase, which will be of 2 months, practice sample papers and mock tests. In the third stage, which will be of 1 months, do revision of important topics and gain control over all that you have studied before. Keep in mind to solve enough number of CMAT mock tests (30-35) for better preparation in short time. Read More: CMAT preparation in 6 months
Q: Â Which section of CMAT question paper has the maximum weightage?
Q: Â Which is the lengthiest section in CMAT?
Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Logical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning questions of CMAT are easy to moderate. However, in this section practice is important for scoring well. Most of the questions are logic based so you need to know what to see and what to ignore. Check the table below for recommended CMAT books for Analytical and Logical Reasoning preparation:
CMAT Books |
Author Name/Publisher |
---|---|
How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha (Pearson) |
Also Read: CMAT Preparation Tips 2025: Cracking Logical Reasoning
Q: Â How many mock tests to attempt to score 99 percentile in CMAT?
Q: Â How can I master Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation topics of CMAT?
Q: Â Does NTA provide CMAT mock test?
Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Language Comprehension
Language Comprehenshion section of CMAT is similar to CAT but has less number of RC passages. The passages are of low difficulty level. There are more grammar and vocabulary based question. Check the table below for CMAT books for Language Comprehension preparation:
CMAT Books |
Author Name/Publisher |
---|---|
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha |
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning |
Dr RS Aggarwal |
For strengthening English Grammar and Vocabulary, the candidates must refer to the following books:
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- Wren & Martin English Grammar
- Barron’s Pocket Guide to Vocabulary
- The Students’ Companion by Wilfred D Best
- Business English and Communication by John O E Clark
- A Communicative Grammar of English by Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik
Also Read: CMAT Preparation 2025: Cracking Language Comprehension
Q: Â What is the section wise weightage in CMAT?
Q: Â Which is the lengthiest section in CMAT?
Q: Â How to score well in CMAT? What should be the preparation strategy?
Best Books for CMAT Preparation: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Given below are some of the books that will help you to prepare for CMAT Innovation and Entrepreneurship section which was introduced in 2021.Â
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship by Peter F. Drucker
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management by R Gopal
- Entrepreneurship - Robert D. Hisrich
- Manorama Year Book - Mammen Mathew
Also Read: CMAT Preparation 2024: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Q: Â What is the CMAT Innovation and entrepreneurship syllabus? Which books to study?
Q: Â Which are the most important topics to focus for CMAT preparation?
Q: Â What are the important topics of CMAT syllabus?
CMAT has five sections - Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Important topics of CMAT across all the five sections are listed below:
- Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation: Time-speed-distance, Ratio-Proportion, Profit and Loss, SICI, Average, Partnership, Triangles Probability Surds, HCF-LCM, Quad equations, Quad inequality, Graphs, Tables, Bar, Pie Chart.
- Logical Reasoning: Family Tree, Analytical Reasoning, Linear Arrangements, Number Series, Matrix Arrangements, Blood Relationship Tests, Coding-Decoding, etc.
- Language Comprehension: Synonym, Antonym, Fill in the Blanks, Idioms, Match the Following, Reading Comprehension, Identify the Correct Statement, Direct/Indirect Speech, Classify the Sentence, Question Tag, Parajumble.
- General Awareness: Economy, Business, World, Politics, Sports, Culture, Society 5. Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Concepts of Entrepreneurship, Overview of Entrepreneurship, Evolution of Entrepreneurship in India, Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development, Theories and Models of Entrepreneurship, Framework of Entrepreneurship Theories, Models of Entrepreneurship, Emerging Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship, Dimensions of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Society, Entrepreneurial Culture, Rural Entrepreneurship, etc.
Best Books for CMAT Preparation: General Awareness
To prepare for General Awareness section of CMAT exam, candidates must refer to GK Year Books. Apart from that, candidates must also read newspapers and current affairs magazines regularly. This will give them the exposure to current affairs and business news. Some of the magazines and journals recommended for CMAT 2025 preparation are:Â
- Economic Times
- Business Today
- The Financial Times
- Hindu Business Line
- Financial Express
- Business World
Q: Â How many questions are asked in GK section of CMAT?
Q: Â How to prepare for GK section of CMAT?
Hi, Below mentioned are some tips, which you can follow for CMAT General Awareness preparation:
- You can read general awareness topics
- For Static GK, read Manorama Year Book and other such GK books for competitive exams
- Read up about latest happenings around the world
- Take note of every event of politics, sports, economy, books, awards, titles, etc.
- To know the latest happenings, you should read English newspapers daily.
- Also, you can participate in similar group discussions along with some good news channels to keep yourself updated.
- GK is a memory based subject so you should start preparing for it towards the end of your CMAT preparation
- Start studying GK year books in the last one month before the CMAT exam to have ll the facts and figures fresh in memory.
Good luck.
Additional CMAT Study Material
Apart from CMAT books, candidates should prepare for the exam through sample papers and mock test series. Given below are key benefits of practicing CMAT mock tests:
- Since CMAT is a speed-based test, candidates need to be capable of applying concepts and formulae to questions within a few seconds for solving them. This can be learnt only by solving sample papers and practicing CMAT mock test series.
- CAT mock tests are a replica of the actual exam. Practicing the CMAT mock test helps the candidate in not only developing speed of solving the question within a certain time limit, but also helps them in developing the skill of solving the questions with maximum accuracy.
- Practising CAT mock tests is also necessary to develop the skill of choosing the right questions in the exam. Candidates can judge their strong and weak areas by solving CMAT mock tests. They can assess which topics of the CMAT syllabus are easy to handle in the exam and which are not. This knowledge will help them in choosing only those questions which they can solve accurately, there by reducing the risk of negative marking.
- CMAT is an online test. The technology may slow down first timers. If a candidate does not have a prior experience of a Computer-Based Test, they may end up wasting time in understanding the exam flow. But if they practice online CMAT mock tests beforehand they will be able to navigate through the actual exam easily.
Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice |
CMAT Mock Test by Shiksha
CMAT_Mock_Test_1 | CMAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
CMAT_Mock_Test_2 | CMAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
Read More:
FAQs on CMAT Books and Preparation
Check here Frequently Asked Questions related to CMAT books:
Q: Â How many questions should I solve to get a good score in CMAT?
Q: Â What is the CMAT Innovation and entrepreneurship syllabus? Which books to study?
Q: Â Can you suggest best books for CMAT preparation?
Q: Â Which are the best books for CMAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation?
Q: Â Which are the best books for CMAT Logical Reasoning preparation?
News & Updates
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CMAT Exam
Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
Top MBA colleges offering average CTCs above 12 LPA, with ST out-of-state reservations and accepting CMAT or XAT scores, include XLRI Jamshedpur (32 LPA, XAT), XIM Bhubaneswar (20 LPA, XAT), Great Lakes Institute of Management (15–17 LPA, CMAT/XAT), Goa Institute of Management (14–15 LPA, CMAT/XAT),
Answered 4 days ago
An 85 percentile in CMAT is considered a good score and can make you eligible for a PGDM scholarship at GIBS Business School. GIBS typically offers scholarships to students with strong academic records or good performance in entrance exams like CMAT. With an 85 percentile, you are likely to be consi
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 6 days ago
Yes, I can suggest colleges in Gujarat that accept CMAT score for admission to MBA
Colleges are :-Â
- Adani Institute of Infrastructure management
- Bk School of business managementÂ
- Amrut modi School of managementÂ
- Shanti Business School
- Indus UniversityÂ
- Graduate School of management studiesÂ
- Centre for manag
Answered a week ago
Depends on exam results, the CMAT cutoff for BLDEA's A S Patil College of Commerce changes depends on the admissions method. Two methods are available to candidates for admission: the Management Quota, which uses CMAT/KMAT scores, or the Government/Merit Quota, which uses CMAT scores through KEA cou
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
You can join BLDEA's A S Patil College of Commerce for MBA or PGDM programs even if you haven't taken the CMAT. The college also accepts other entrance exams like Karnataka PGCET and KMAT.
Admission Process:
- Students are primarily admitted based on merit through these exams, followed by a counseling p
S
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
Hii, The difficulty of XAT, CAT, or CMAT depends on individual aptitude and preparation, but generally:
- CAT: Considered the toughest, with high competition and emphasis on VARC, DILR, and Quant.
- XAT: Moderate, with an additional Decision-Making section and essay writing, testing analytical thinking.
- CM
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Indeed, CMAT results are accepted for admission to the MBA programme at the Best MBA college in Global Institute of Business Studies (GIBS), located in Bangalore. Candidates who have taken the CMAT may apply to GIBS's MBA programme as long as they fulfill the requirements. A group discussion and in-
G
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, you will not require giving the exam of CMAT for the course of mass communication and journalism from Gujarat University. The CMAT is basically an entrance examination that can be cleared by students who want to undergo an MBA course from one of the B schools. For courses in mass communication a
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
RKDF University accepts CMAT exam scores for admission to its MBA programme. The exam schedule for 2025 has not been released by NTA yet. However, this exam is usually conducted in the month of March or April.
However, in 2023 and 2024, it was held in May. Thus, CMAT 2025 is expected to be held in Ma
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, admission to RKDF University MBA is made based on performance in the accepted entrance exam, i.e., CMAT. Thus, it is essential that candidates seeking admission register and apply for the CMAT exam. It is a national-level exam that is accepted by many institutions for admissions to MBA programme
S
Contributor-Level 10
1402 Institutes accepting CMAT
- Total Fees: ₹ 6.00 Lakh
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
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- Total Fees: ₹ 8.00 Lakh
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
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- Total Fees: ₹ 15.75 Lakh
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
Can you guys make a list of good MBA colleges (above 12lakh CTC) has ST out of state reservations and accept CMAT or XAT.