Best Books for XAT 2026 Preparation: Section-wise Guide Recommended by Experts & Toppers
XAT Admit Card Date:20 Dec' 25 - 04 Jan' 26
When preparing for the XAT 2026 exam, it's very important for XAT aspirants to select the best books for XAT 2026. The right study resources, recommended by experts, would not only help the studnets to have a better conceptual clarity, but at the same time would help studnets to score better XAT score 2026. Students should always start by understanding the complete exam pattern and XAT syllabus before diving into their studies. Following the same resources used by previous years' successful candidates gives you a competitive edge and builds confidence for the actual test day. In this article, you will find the Best Books for XAT 2026 Preparation - MBA Study Resources featuring comprehensive guidance on the most effective study materials for XAT 2026 aspirants.
This Story also Contains
- XAT Books 2026
- Know the XAT Exam Pattern 2026
- Best Books for XAT Preparation Section-wise
- Best XAT Decision Making Books
- Parameters to Consider While Choosing XAT Books for Preparation
XAT Books 2026
Every XAT 2026 candidate wonders about the most effective study resources for their preparation journey. With 100s of books, online courses, and practice materials available on both digital platforms and in physical bookstores, students often feel overwhelmed by the vast array of options. Books suggested by Previous year XAT Toppers and Experts has consistently produced high-scoring results, ensuring that you receive quality content that thoroughly explains core concepts and their practical applications. These recommended resources serve as your roadmap to building strong fundamentals while developing the analytical skills necessary to tackle challenging questions across all sections of the XAT examination.
Know the XAT Exam Pattern 2026
Before proceeding further, candidates should familiarise themselves with the XAT 2026 exam pattern. Through this, candidates will become familiar with the section-wise exam structure and the XAT marking scheme.
Know the XAT Exam Pattern 2026
Section name | Number of questions | Major topics | Marking scheme | Time limit |
26 |
|
| 170 minutes | |
Critical Reasoning: Decision-making making conclusion derivation, and theme detection | 21 |
| ||
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | |||
General Knowledge | 20 (12 questions from current affairs and 8 questions from static GK) | Static GK and Current Affairs |
| 10 minutes |
Essay | 01 | Will be evaluated of those who qualify for the XAT entrance exam | No negative marking | 30 minutes |
Total | 101 | - | - | 210 minutes |
Best Books for XAT Preparation Section-wise
The main objective of providing section-wise XAT exam preparation books is so that one does not waste time gathering too much information and preparation material. There are some of the best XAT preparation materials recommended by XAT toppers. Preparing from the following XAT books, candidates will not lose their focus on gathering the requisite details and information in the requisite time.
Best Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Books For XAT 2026 Preparation
In the XAT paper, the weightage of QA and DI is generally high. It is expected that a total of 27 questions will be asked in the XAT exam 2026. Quantitative Ability will include all the topics from mathematics. It is quite easy to prepare for Data Interpretation as compared to Quantitative Ability. While preparing for the QA & DI section, candidates need to work on their basics and work on fundamentals. Candidates can use the following books during their XAT 2026:
Book Name | Author | Salient Features |
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | RS Aggarwal | Comprehensive coverage of quantitative topics, numerous practice questions, and step-by-step solutions. |
Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K Sinha | Focuses on data interpretation techniques, includes CAT-level problems, and detailed explanations. |
How to prepare for Data Interpretation | Arun Sharma | Strategies for different types of DI problems, practice sets, and time management tips. |
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations | Abhijit Guha | Extensive practice problems, clear explanations, and covers various competitive exams. |
The above-mentioned books will help candidates to have a good grasp of concepts and fundamentals. Apart from that, they will get solved questions from past year papers of XAT, CAT, etc.
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Best Books for XAT Preparation for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
Basically, this section is divided into three parts: Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning. While preparing for the VA & LR section, it is good to do the preparation separately because each part has a different syllabus. As per last year's trend, the total number of questions that will be asked is 26. Here is the list of the following XAT exam books, so that one can use them during their XAT 2026 preparation days.
Best Books for XAT 2026 VA & LR section
Book Name | Author | Salient Features |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | Vocabulary building, easy-to-understand format, effective word usage. |
High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren & Martin | Comprehensive grammar rules, composition techniques, numerous examples. |
Analytical Reasoning | MK Pandey | Extensive reasoning problems, clear explanations, practice exercises. |
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | RS Aggarwal | Wide range of verbal and non-verbal reasoning problems, step-by-step solutions. |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Ajay Singh | Focuses on reading comprehension, verbal ability, practice questions, strategies. |
Best XAT Decision Making Books
This section will contain questions from various business and everyday situations. These situations will create dilemmas regarding what to do or what not to do. While attempting such questions, the most suitable analysis provided by the candidates seems to be the right answer to a particular question. Some of the XAT decision-making study material is given below in the table:
Recommended Books for XAT Decision Making Section
Book Name | Author | Salient Features |
Jabbing the XAT (with solved papers) | RK Jha | Previous years’ XAT papers, detailed solutions, mock tests. |
Analytical and Logical Reasoning | Arihant Publications | Covers various reasoning topics, practice questions, exam-oriented approach. |
Target XAT (Past papers & mock tests) | Disha Publications | Collection of past XAT papers, mock tests, detailed solutions. |
XAT 2026 GK Books
While preparing for the General Knowledge section, candidates need to focus on Geography, History, Politics, Science and technology etc. Candidates can read newspapers, magazines and journals while preparing for the XAT GK section.
The provided section-wise XAT preparation books are recommended by experts and previous year XAT toppers. Those candidates who are going to appear for XAT 2026 can refer to the these XAT exam preparation books to excel in this MBA entrance test.
Book Name | Author | Salient Features |
Manorama Year Book | Malayala Manorama Group | Comprehensive annual reference book, current affairs, and general knowledge. |
Objective General Knowledge (Lucent's) | Sanjiv Kumar | Objective questions cover a wide range of GK topics, useful for competitive exams. |
Lucent's General Knowledge | Lucent | Detailed coverage of GK topics, frequently asked questions, concise format. |
General Knowledge 2025 | Manohar Pandey | Updated GK content, current affairs, and exam-oriented preparation. |
Lucent's General Knowledge 2025 | Dr. Binay Karna | Comprehensive GK coverage, useful for various competitive exams. |
Arihant’s General Knowledge 2024 | Manohar Pandey | Extensive GK content, current affairs, and competitive exam preparation. |
Parameters to Consider While Choosing XAT Books for Preparation
When choosing XAT books for preparation, consider the following factors:
- Comprehensive Coverage: Ensure the book covers all sections of the XAT exam, including Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability, and General Knowledge.
- Updated Content: The book should be up-to-date with the latest exam pattern and types of questions asked in recent years.
- Practice Questions: Look for books that offer a wide range of practice questions and previous years' papers to help you get familiar with the exam format.
- Detailed Solutions: Solutions should be detailed and easy to understand, helping you learn the correct approach to solving problems.
- Author's Reputation: Choose books written by reputable authors or publications known for their quality educational materials.
- Reviews and Recommendations: Check reviews and seek recommendations from successful XAT candidates or mentors to find reliable and effective books.
- Supplementary Resources: Consider books that come with additional resources like online practice tests, video tutorials, or access to a companion website for further practice and learning.
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On Question asked by student community
XAT scores are valid for 2 years hence you can easily download it again Visit the official website of XAT 2025 i.e xatonline.in. and then Click on 'scorecard' tab.login with your credentials XAT ID and password type the security text shown on screen. Click on candidate scorecard and download a PDF copy of the same hope it helps.
Hello
Here is the list of colleges you can get with 68%ile
JIMS Rohini Delhi
IMT Hyderabad
SOIL Institute of Management
Jaipuria Institute of Management Jaipur
Jaypee Business School
Dayananda Sagar Business School Bangalore
NSB Academy Bangalore
NDIM New Delhi
Hello Aspirant
Seeing your marks, it is evident you are good in academics. Thus, you can get into a good MBA college but mind you, it won't be easy because there are thousands of students who are as good as you, if not better. MBA colleges do not choose candidates solely based on academic performance, although it has a big weightage in their selection process. They test your presence of mind, intellect, and communication skills through Group Discussions and Interviews.
The safest way to get into a good MBA college is to score 96-97+ percentile and do really well in GD and PI. Top MBA colleges in India are IIMs, XISS (Ranchi), TISS, Delhi School of Business, and Symbiosis.
Hope this helps
Hello Aspirant
Congratulations on your score, There are many good B schools at 80-85%ile in CAT and XAT
1)Great Lakes, Chennai
2)IRMA
3) Goa Institute of Management
4) NIBM
5) TAPMI
Do your research about these colleges as to what is their average package, the roles offered.
Colleges like NIBM specialize in Finance, and IRMA has a lot of sales marketing Roles. So ultimately the choice is yours which specialization you want to pursue.
Hello aspirant,
Here below are the names of the colleges that you can target:
- Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education, Mumbai
- Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Trichy
- University Business School, Panjab University, Chandigarh
- Delhi School of Management, Delhi Technical University, Delhi
- Institute of Rural Management, Anand
Thank you
Hope it helps you.