The features of the assessment tasks as recognized by the students are most important to the awareness of students' purpose and progress related results (Alkharusi, 2011). For this reason, the perception of students about assessment task should be worthy appreciated and investigated. Different students adapted different study methods according to their subject demands and these study methods effects on the students' achievement and enhance their confidence level. Bush and Walsh (2014) found that daily classroom tasks are better for high achievement. In addition, Islam et al., (2011) stated that students feel more satisfied when they used variety of study methods for their learning and high achievement. The present study designed to find out the relationship between students' perceptions of assessment, their examination preparation strategies and achievement.

The main objective of the study was to find out the relationship between students' perceptions of assessment, their exam prep strategies and achievement. The following questions addressed the research questions:

The current study was correlational and to investigate the research problem, survey was conducted. To be more specific, the following procedure was adopted for the present study.

There are twenty-five (25) public sector universities in Punjab-Pakistan. All the students of these universities constituted the population of this study. A Sample of seven (7) universities was selected randomly. A total sample of 1324 respondents was selected through simple random sampling techniques by using the table of random numbers from the universities of Punjab-Pakistan for this study.

Two questionnaires were adapted for data collection, one questionnaire for students' perception of assessment (Waldrip et al., 2008) and second for students' examination preparation strategies (Williams et al., 2004).

With the help of experts of department of Education, BZU, Multan, validity of the instrument was measured. The instrument was piloted tested in UE, Multan Campus. The reliability co-efficient of students' perception of assessment the scale was .77 and .83 was on exam prep strategies. For the administration of questionnaire, the researcher herself visited different universities through multiple contacts for data collection. Porter (2004) considered multiple contacts, a successful technique to get a high response rate.

The data analysis was done in three sections, first section was about descriptive statistics, second section was about differential statistics and third section was about Pearson correlation. To find out the significance of difference between respondents' views on students' perception of assessment and their examination preparation strategies with dependent variable of academic achievement (CGPA). The results were recorded in table (1, 2, 3, 4) and interpreted in the following manner.

The study was focused to find out the relationship between students' perception of assessment, their exam prep strategies and achievement. Alkharusi et al., (2014) observed interrelations among perception of students about assessment objectives and the assessment process and found out statistically significant differences in gender relate the perceptions of assessment. Cheng et al., (2015) stated that learning oriented assessment depend on the congruence with planned learning and performance-oriented assessment depends on the teachers' consultation with students.

The current study findings revealed that some aspects of students' exam preparation styles have relationship with achievement (CGPA) except one aspect of open ended and spontaneous strategies. The study comes out with the results that male and female students haven't any impact on their perception of assessment as well as exam preparation styles of students.

In addition, Bhatti and Bart (2013) conducted a study and viewed that male and female students have different strategies of preparation. As mostly females prefer to practice concrete information while conceptualization is preferred by males. The results of the study by Lau and Yuen (2010) are as vice versa that mostly of the male preferred concrete knowledge whereas females liked the abstract material.

The outcomes of study (Gao, 2012) disclosed that students, despite of gender, very powerfully experience that there is a similarity among mathematics learning room assessment and planned learning. The current study results also concluded that there is irrelevant disparity of gender views about students' exam preparation methods and there is no disparity among CGPA of male and female students, both candidates have same progress level and have not any influence on perception of student and also their exam preparation methods.

Moreover, the study of Coeetze (2012) found that the abstract- theoretical strategies was highest mean (50.98) and men score of factual-practical strategies was (43.51) and 43.24 mean score was organized- planful strategies were obtained while the least preferred strategies by students was environmental-interactive exam preparation strategies. Williams et al., (2004) stated that when students used the organized planful approach for study, then they become ahead of deadlines because of completing the overall content material and assignment.

The study result of Gulikers et al., (2006) found that if teaching and assessment both focus on the learning of students then students' achievement will be improved. Struyven et al., (2005) stated a very strong relationship of students' perception of assessment with their way of learning. Struyven et al., as well explained the progress in efficiencies of student while students undergo involved in the choice of assessment mode (Gao, 2012).

The study gives evidence that students' exam standard is affected by their ways of learning in preparing for the examination (Ng et al., 2011) and their progress of education (Naimie et al., 2010). Coetzee (2012) stated that the students' learning and their study plans relevant to collecting and utilizing knowledge (exercise and theoretical concept) which come out to have importantly supported the students' engagement with educational tasks and their use of education sources. The abstract- theoretical learning strategies also predicted the students' achievement, whereas the factual-practical and analytical-logical preparation of exam study plans also predicted their educational behavior that promote progressive achievement of students. Study has highlighted that students' effective participation in their studies improves their learning abilities (Coetzee & Oosthuizen 2012).

Viljoen (2012) also supported this idea that students' more engagement with their study will enhance their achievement level. Moreover, progress of students' and efficiency is affected by their learning abilities and styles of learning (Felder & Brent 2005). Entwistle et al., (2001) stated that if students planned and organized their study methods as well as effective time management will successes them to achieve high scores in their examination.

The study concludes that different students have different perception of assessment and also adopt different exam prep strategies. The study also analyzed significant relationship between students' perception of assessment, exam prep strategies and achievement. The findings concluded significance difference between genders perception of assessment and insignificant difference views about their exam prep strategies.

This study recommends that teachers should to improve their assessment practices and to align the assessment practices with learning tasks. Teachers should also clearly inform the objectives and methods of assessment to students. The findings of the study could be significant for the college administration, policymakers (especially at higher education level), educationists, researchers, and curriculum experts to realize the importance of students' perception of assessment and their exam prep strategies towards reflective practice and its practice for growth and development of students.