EMAT Exam Books: Best Preparation & Study Materials

IIMK recommends no EMAT books by name, and no study book is official. The EPGP Kochi FAQ calls EMAT broadly similar to CAT and GMAT. Books for those tests cover the same skill areas.

Is there an official EMAT book?

No. IIMK publishes only sample papers for EMAT. It has no official guide, no syllabus and no free practice portal. Any of the EMAT books in a shop is unofficial, and none is made by IIMK. The EMAT question papers page lists the four official files.

All four prep styles start with one IIMK sample paper, and the tabs show what to add.

Your prep style matters less than your weak group, so pick EMAT books by group. A candidate with a valid CAT, GMAT or GRE score at the IIMK minimum may not need EMAT at all. The EMAT cutoff page lists those minimums.

The IIMK sample papers are the only official EMAT practice material, and they are free. IIM Kozhikode posts them on its own site. There is one paper for EPGP-IL and three for EPGP Kochi.

All four EMAT sample papers are dated 2023 and have no answer key. The IL file is a scanned image. IIMK says the samples relate to earlier tests and that it may change the test. Download the EMAT sample papers from the EMAT exam question papers page. The pattern facts are on the EMAT exam pattern page.

Which sample paper should I solve first?

Solve the EPGP-IL sample first if you apply to IIM Kozhikode IL. It has 40 questions in three groups. IIMK does not say the live IL test has the same length. Use the Kochi samples next as extra practice. The EMAT sample papers for Kochi have 60 questions each.

The EMAT sample papers test arithmetic, number series, data tables and puzzles. These EMAT books for quant and reasoning are unofficial. They were written for CAT or general competitive tests.

Which book is best for EMAT quant?

No book is the best, because IIMK names none. Pick the one that matches the topics in your weak group. Among EMAT books, a CAT title is the usual choice. The topics seen in the samples include averages, profit and discount, time and work, interest, ratio, probability and number series. The EMAT syllabus 2027 page lists them.

None of these EMAT books is official. Each profile says what the book is, who should use it and who can skip it. We have not checked the contents of these titles against the EMAT samples.

IIMK EMAT sample papers (official)

• What it is: four free EMAT sample papers from IIM Kozhikode, dated 2023.
• Strength: shows the real style and the three groups.
• Limit: no answers, no marks scheme and no time printed.
• Use if: you are applying through EMAT. Skip if: you hold a CAT, GMAT or GRE score at the minimum.
• Necessary: yes.

How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT (Arun Sharma, McGraw Hill)

• What it is: a quant preparation book written for the CAT.
• Strength: it targets the same quantitative skill area as the Quantitative group in the EMAT samples.
• Limit: it is written for CAT, not EMAT. We have not checked its contents against the samples.
• Use if: your quant group scores low. Skip if: you score well in quant.
• Necessary: optional.

How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for the CAT (Arun Sharma, McGraw Hill)

• What it is: a CAT preparation book on data interpretation and logical reasoning.
• Strength: it targets the same skills as the middle group of the sample papers.
• Limit: it is written for CAT, so its difficulty may differ from the EMAT samples.
• Use if: data tables or puzzles slow you down. Skip if: you finish this group early.
• Necessary: optional.

Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations (R.S. Aggarwal, S. Chand)

• What it is: a quantitative aptitude book for competitive examinations in general.
• Strength: it covers the quant skill area that the samples test.
• Limit: it is not written for management tests. We have not checked its contents against the samples.
• Use if: you need basic arithmetic back. Skip if: you already own a CAT quant book.
• Necessary: optional.

How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT (Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay, McGraw Hill)

• What it is: a CAT preparation book on verbal ability and reading comprehension.
• Strength: it targets the same skill area as the Verbal group in the samples.
• Limit: it is written for CAT, so some parts may go beyond the samples.
• Use if: reading or grammar costs you marks. Skip if: your verbal score is already high.
• Necessary: optional.

Word Power Made Easy (Norman Lewis)

• What it is: a vocabulary-building book.
• Strength: vocabulary is a skill the verbal group tests through synonyms and antonyms.
• Limit: it covers vocabulary only, not reading or grammar.
• Use if: vocabulary questions are your weak point. Skip if: you score well in them.
• Necessary: optional.

IIMK has said nothing about coaching for EMAT, and it publishes no coaching material. EMAT is a screening test for working professionals. IIMK describes it as testing basic ability.

For most applicants, the four sample papers and one or two EMAT books are enough to start. Coaching notes can help if you need a fixed schedule. Check twice before you pay for a long course, since IIM Kozhikode states no EMAT syllabus. A CAT-level course may cover more than EMAT needs. Books vs coaching is a choice about your time. EMAT books let you study after work at your own pace.