The usual and the most popular confusion of MBA Aspirant is about books to read for MBA entrance Exam to improve VARC Section .
Books are an integral part of the MBA exam preparation. For the individuals who prefer seeing the world in a different way, fiction books are a great way to animate their imagination. Fiction books are considered as a gateway to a different world- a world created by the authors. Books not only helps you develop your reading speed to help you with the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of the exam but it also helps you become better at the other areas of Verbal Ability like jumbled sentences and critical reasoning. Not only it will help you improve your Verbal Ability, it would open up a whole new world for you.
Best Strategy to Read
With numerous books to choose from, the individuals often get confused and fail to understand what books would actually benefit them. In case of fiction, one must consider several points to choose the best book accordingly.
The candidates who wish to start reading fiction or any other book must consider these given points to effectuate and enliven their learning experience.
- Analyse the present language skills
- Have a diversified reading list
- Slowly increase the reading level
While reading books, the candidates are suggested to understand the language used and how that literature can benefit them during preparation for exam.
Books to Read
There are various fiction books that the candidates can read to enhance their preparation. Some of the excellent books are mentioned below in three levels according to the complexity of the literature. The candidates are suggested to read the level 1 books in the initial stages and then move on to the successive levels.
Books at Beginner level
| Level – 1 | ||
| Book Name | Author | Genre |
| Animal Farm | George Orwell | Political satire |
| The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Adventure, Self – help |
| 1984 | George Orwell | Political Fiction |
| The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Historical fiction Drama |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | Young adult literature |
| The Wind in the Willows | Kenneth Grahame | Children’s novel |
| Lord of the Flies | William Golding | Allegorical novel |
| Old Man and Sea | Ernest Hemingway | Literary Fiction |
| Conversation with God | Neale Donald Walsh | Motivational |
| Tuesday with Morrie | Mitch Albom | Inspirational |
Books at Moderate Level
Once you are done with the above list, or may be even half of it, probably you should try out another list that is slightly harder.
| Level 2 | ||
| Book Name | Author | Genre |
| The Zahir | Paulo Coelho | Novel |
| Hit Refresh | Satya Nadela | Non Fiction |
| Why I’m Hindu | Shashi Tharoor | Fictional , Historical |
| India Unbounded | Gurcharan Das | Non Fiction |
| The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari | Robin Sharma | Fiction, inspirational |
| The Undercover Economist | Tim Harford | Non Fiction |
| The Compassionate Samurai | Brian Klemmer | Motivational |
| Freakonomics | Stewen D Levitt | Non Fiction |
| Strategies of War | Sun Tzu | Motivational |
| The world is flat | Thomas Friedman | Non Fiction |
| Why we buy : The science of shopping | Paco Underhill | Non fiction |
| Fish ! | Stephen Lundin et al | Management |
| Confessions of an economic hit man | John Perkins | Business / Economics |
| Business Legends | Gita Pirmal | Biography |
| I’m right you are wrong | Edward De Bono | Psychology / Philosophy |
| The Selfish Gene | Richard Dawkins | Science |
| The Compassionate Samurai | Brian Kiemmer | Management |
| Sapiens | Yuval Noah Harari | Non fiction |
| I do what I do | RaghuRam Rajan | Non Fiction |
| The Catcher in The Rye | J D Salinger | Realistic Fiction |
| Narcissus and Goldmund | Hermann Hesse | Historical fiction, philosophical fiction |
| Atlas Shrugged | Ayn Rand | Philosophical, Mystery and Romance |
With these books , the CAT aspirants can easily enhance their reading and comprehending capabilities along with enhancing their vocabulary
I am sure I have missed out on many books but I am also sure that if you try and go through even half of the books mentioned above, you would significantly improve not only your Verbal Ability but also your chances in the Group Discussion / Personal Interview stage. These books will open your mind and expand your horizons. Do not think of it as a task that you need to do to increase your chances at cracking exam, but think of it as something that will make you a better person.