TANCET Books 2026: Check best books for exam preparation

Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2026 ( TANCET )

This exam is conducted for courses given below:
Abhishek Dhawan
Updated on Oct 19, 2025 03:02 IST

By Abhishek Dhawan, Assistant Manager – Editorial Content

TANCET Books 2026: Anna University conducted the TANCET 2026 exam as per the schedule. The entrance exam is conducted for admission to MBA and MCA programmes offered by various colleges in Tamil Nadu. To score well in the exam, candidates must start their TANCET preparation with the best books and study materials developed for TANCET. Read below section-wise best TANCET preparation books along with recommended study material and key preparation tips.

Also Read: Last 10 Year TANCET MBA Question Paper PDF Download

Q:   Which are the best books to prepare for English Proficiency in TANCET?
A: 
TANCET exam has five sections two of which are based on English language skills of the candidate. One section check the proficiency in English language while other section will gauge reading comprehension skills of the candidate. Here are some of the best books for English language preparation for TANCET MBA exam: - Objective General English by S. P. Bakshi - English Grammar and Composition by SC Gupta - Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis - Objective English for Competitive Examination by Hari Mohan Prasad and Uma Sinha - General English for All Competitive Examinations by S. C. Gupta These are just a few of the many great books available for English language preparation for competitive exams. The best book for you will depend on your individual needs and goals as individuals may have a strong hold on different topics under the section.
Q:   How can I perform well in English section of TANCET exam?
A: 

TANCET exam's English Proficiency section is further divided into two sub-sections. These sub-sections include Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability followed by General English which evaluates the grammatical skills of the candidate. Candidates should develop a habit of reading newspapers, magazines and books to have a better understanding of English Knowledge. They can also refer to High School Grammar by Wren and Martin for developing a strong foundation. Basic Grammar forms the base of this examination and a candidate should be good in basic grammar such as Articles, Parts of Speech, Tense, etc. A candidate needs to read the basic grammar books and can also learn the rules of grammar online by practicing more. Following areas require candidate's attention to score well in the TANCET English section:

  • Vocabulary
  • Synonyms and Antonyms
  • One word Substitutions
  • Idioms and Phrases
  • Spotting Errors
Table of content
  • TANCET Books and Sample Papers
  • Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation
  • Best Books for TANCET MCA Preparation 2026
  • How to Prepare for TANCET 2026 Exam?
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TANCET Books and Sample Papers

Candidates must choose the correct books for TANCET preparation as there are several books that cover MBA entrance exam syllabus. Candidates can choose to prepare for TANCET exams online as well offline. Aspirants should refer to those books that extensively covers all the topics and explain the answers in the simplest possible way. They can also take help from coaching institutes where the study materials are designed by experts of the subject. To make the preparation easier, Shiksha has listed down the best books for TANCET preparation.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How to choose books for TANCET exam preparation?
A: 
Candidates preparing for TANCET must avoid buying any random books available for MBA exam preparation. In case the candidates already have any books for MBA exam prep, they can skip buying any book. However, if TANCET is the only exam for which the aspirant is planning to appear, following factors must be kept in mind to choose a book: 1. Check the table of content and book edition 2. Check if the book has its content arranged systematically 3. Read reviews whether the book is for advanced level preparation or basic preparation 4. Author and publisher 5. Does it contain a question bank? 6. Does it have section wise distribution? 7. Buy specific books for TANCET preparation 8. Ask for recommendations from past toppers.
Q:   Which book will be best to prepare for TANCET Exam?
A: 
Some of the preparation books for preparing for Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) are mentioned here: English Language Student Book by Alison Ross Quantitative Aptitude by S. N. Jha Numerical Test by Dr. M. B. Lal & Jain Reasoning Test (Verbal & Non-Verbal) by Dr. M. B. Lal & A. K. Singh Logical and Analytical Reasoning by A. K. Gupta TANCET MBA Exam Book - Author: E. S. Ramasamy TANCET MBA (Anna University) - Author: V K Subburaj A Comprehensive Study of Data Interpretation Analysis and Sufficiency - Author: Ashok Gupta Non-Verbal Reasoning - Author: B. S. Sijwali & Indus Sijwali Besides the above mentioned books, candidates can get section wise recommended books on Shiksha's article on recommended books for TANCET MBA (https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/best-books-for-tancet-preparation-blogId-20375). .
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Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation

TANCET MBA syllabus have five sections, namely, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency, Business Situation Analysis, Reading Comprehension, and English Usage. Check below the section-wise list of best books to prepare for the TANCET exam.

Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: Quantitative Ability

This section has questions to test arithmetic skills of the candidate. Aspirants are required to cover topics such as Algebra, Number Systems, Linear Equation, Speed, Distance, Time & Work, Mensuration, and Probability among others. Candidates can refer to the following books for TANCET preparation:

Book Title

Author

The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for MBA Entrance Examinations

Dinesh Khattar

Quantitative Aptitude

RS Aggarwal

Class IX and X books

NCERT

Magical book on Quicker Maths

M Tyra

TANCET MBA

ES Ramasamy

Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: Data Sufficiency

The topics in Data Sufficiency section include Bar Graph, Line Chart, Tabular Form, Caselet Form, and Missing Data among others. Refer to the best books for Data Interpretation preparation in the table below:

Book Title

Author

Data Interpretation for CAT

Arun Sharma

Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency

Ananta Ashisha

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

Gautam Puri

Data Interpretation Simplified

Jagan Saneja

Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation: Business Situation Analysis

This section evaluates the candidates’ analytical ability as well as decision making skills. Refer to the best books for Business Situation Analysis preparation in the table below:

Book Title

Author

Analytical Reasoning

MK Pandey

Multi-Dimensional Reasoning

Mishra & Kumar Dr. Lal

Reasoning Book for Competitive Examinations

Pearson

Best Books for TANCET MBA Preparation:  RC & English Usage

This section analyses candidates’ fluency in the English language. The section has topics such as Antonyms, Articles, Editing, Omitting, Prepositions, Analogy, etc. Refer to the best books for Reading Comprehension & English Usage in the table below;

Book Title

Author

High School Grammar

Wren & Martin

Word Power Made Easy

Norman Lewis

Business English and Communication

John O E Clark

30 Days to a more powerful Vocabulary

Norman Lewis

The Students’ Companion

Wilfred D Best

Other Recommended Books for TANCET 2026

  • TANCET MBA by E.S. Ramaswamy
  • TANCET MBA Solved Papers by S.Sambasivan DR.Antony
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What are the best books for the TANCET Data Sufficiency section?
A: 
There are several books for a decent preparation of Data Sufficiency section of TANCET exam. Here are a few of the best books for TANCET Data Sufficiency section: - Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency for CAT & Other MBA Exams by Abhishek Banerjee and Gajendra Kumar. - Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashiha - Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation by Odisha Experts Besides the above-mentioned books, candidates can refer to the books for Data Interpretetion prescribes for any competitive exam. The topics under Data Sufficiency section of TANCET exam are similar to the topics included in other competitive exam, irrespective of the streams. With a little effort, one can learn data sufficiency and improve chances of success in the TANCET MBA exam.
Q:   How to improve Reading Comprehension skills for TANCET MBA exam?
A: 

Here are some tips on how to improve reading comprehension skills for MBA exam preparation:

  1. Read regularly
  2. Summarize what you read
  3. Reach out mentors for help
  4. Practice using sample papers and mock tests
  5. Pay attention to the author's purpose
  6. Identify the main idea of each paragraph
  7. Look for clues to the author's tone.
  8. Is the author being serious, humorous, or sarcastic?
  9. Read between the lines. What is the author not saying? What are they implying?

By following the above mentioned tips, one can improve their reading comprehension skills and increase their chances of success on the MBA exam.

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Best Books for TANCET MCA Preparation 2026

The exam paper of MCA will have questions from Quantitative Ability, Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Computer Awareness. Here is the list of best books for TANCET MCA.

Book Title

Author

TANCET MCA Entrance Exam Preparation Book

VVK Subburaj

Popular Master Guide MCA Entrance examination

R Gupta

A Complete Package for MCA Entrance Guide

Amit M Agarwal

High Speed System of Basic Arithmetic

Upkar Publication

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How to Prepare for TANCET 2026 Exam?

For TANCET preparation, candidates should first get familiar with the TANCET exam pattern. Here we have shared course-wise exam pattern for the entrance exam

TANCET Exam Pattern for MBA and MCA

Check below the TANCET exam pattern for MBA and MCA programmes:

Programmes

MBA

MCA/MCA(LE)

Mode of TANCET Exam

Offline

Offline

Duration of test

2 hours

2 hours

Number of sections

5 (Business Situation Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency and English Usage)

4(Quantitative Ability, Analytical Reasoning, Computer Awareness, Logical Reasoning.

Sectional Weightage

20 marks allotted to each section

25 marks allotted to each section

Total Marks

100

100

Negative Marks

1/3

1/3

CEETA PG Exam Pattern for M.Tech/M.E/M.Arch/MPlan

Check below the TANCET exam pattern for M.Tech/M.E/M.Arch/MPlan programmes

Programmes

M.Tech/M.E/M.Arch/MPlan

Mode of TANCET Exam

Offline

Duration of Test

2 hours

Number of Section

3(Part I-Engineering Mathematics, Part II-Basic Engineering & Sciences Part III- for different disciplines)

Sectional Weightage

Part I: Part II: Part III- 20:20:60

Total Marks

115

Negative Marks

1/3

TANCET 2026 Preparation Tips

Here are some of the TANCET preparation tips recommended by the toppers and experts from the previous sessions: 

  • Candidates should chalk out a preparation plan which should include the subject-wise preparation strategy, the books that needs to be covered, the hours that need to be devoted to each subject
  • Candidates must understand their strengths and weaknesses. While building on their strength, aspirants should not overlook topics that lower their confidence.
  • More than spending long hours, candidates must focus on making each study session as productive as possible. Every session must have some takeaways.
  • Candidates should also make a list of shortcut tricks and formulas. This will help reach the answer to a question quicker.
  • Candidates should solve at least 15 to 20 TANCET mock tests in the last two months to the examination.

Read More:

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TANCET Exam

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a month ago

TANCET counselling is conducted by GCT Coimbatore. DTE, Tamil Nadu has allocatted the responsibility for TANCET counselling to GCT, Coimbatore. Candidates will have to participate in the centralised counselling process for TANCET based admissions.

B

Bhumika Sharma

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

The last date for TANCET exam registration is expected to lie around 20-30 days after the start date. Therefore, if the registration starts in January, candidates can expect the last date to apply for TANCET exam to be in the month of February. The timeline for TANCET registration is notified with t

...Read more

L

Loveleen Sharma

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

No, there is no facility for revaluation in TANCET exam. The results declared by Anna University are final and will be considered for admissions in Tamil Nadu. Anna University will not entertain any requests for revaluation and rechecking of the TANCET answer sheet.

R

Rupali Shukla

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

TANCET exam has objective type questions, this means that each question will have four options. Candidates have to choose one correct answer option for the question in the TANCET exam.

78471306
Abhishek Dhawan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

TANCET exam is conducted once every year. Candidates aiming for admissions via TANCET in current year must appear for the current cycle of the TANCET exam. In case of change in the TANCET exam frequency, Anna University will notify the details on teh official website and the infoirmation brochure.

A

Akansha Goyal

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

TANCET scores remain valid for a period of one admission cycle. Candidates appearing for the TANCET exam in this year can only get admission in the current admission cycle.

S

Shruti Shukla

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

Yes, TANCET exam consists of negative marking. For each incorrect response candidates face a penalty of 1/3 mark. Therefore, candidates must avoid guesswork while answering questions in the TANCET exam.

R

Rohini Bisht

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

TANCET exam details are released around the month of January every year. Candidates find the start dare for the TANCET registration along with the TANCET syllabus, infomation brochure, and exam date. Additionally, the TANCET website mentions the notification release date beforehand. TANCET notificat

...Read more

J

Jaya Katariya

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

TANCET ranks are allotted based on the marks of the candidates. All candidates with a TANCET Bscore who get their documents verified before the counselling process will be placed in the TANCET rank list. the highest scorer in the TANCET exam who will get the documents verified will get first rank in

...Read more

V

Vikram Tyagi

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

TANCET exam scores are accepted by more than 200 colleges in Tamil Nadu. TANCET scores help in admissioin toi MBA as well as MCA colleges in the state. DTE conducts centralised counselling process to fill the seats based on the TANCET scores.

N

Nikita Saxena

Beginner-Level 5

529 Institutes accepting TANCET

Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science

Kelambakkam, Chennai Private

Hindustan
  • 3.02 Lakh
  • 2 years
  • |
  • Full Time
  • 35,000
  • 2 years
  • |
  • Full Time
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time

    Mepco Schlenk Engineering College

    Tamil Nadu - Other Private

    Mepco Schl
    • 35,000
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time

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