Abstract—Students’ motivation to study for exams and their strategies to achieve academic success attract the interest of many university teachers. This paper investigates the relationship between self-perceived approaches to studying and academic achievement. Quantitative analysis involving undergraduate students at the Faculty of Public Administration, University of Ljubljana was conducted. The revised two-factor study process questionnaire was used to measure students’ approaches to studying, together with quantitative analysis of grade point averages. Self-perceived study approaches were found to predict academic achievement. The empirical results reveal a connection between the surface study approach and higher achievement at exams. These findings are counter to many studies suggesting the opposite. 
 

Keywords—academic achievement, approaches to learning, university students, motivation