Students' time and effort investments are a critical predictor of academic performance. However, little is known about how effort distribution in exam preparation affects exam performance. In a five-wave longitudinal field study, we investigated how students' pacing styles (i.e., the allocation of effort over time during exam preparation) relate to the effectiveness and efficiency of performance. We also examined whether behaviour-focused self-leadership strategies predict students' pacing styles. Nonlinear latent class growth analyses revealed four distinct pacing style patterns that correspond to those found in organizational contexts: effort investment is allocated towards the deadline (45.1%), steady (35.0%), inverted U-shaped (10.7%) and U-shaped (9.0%). Behaviour-oriented self-leadership strategies predicted these patterns of effort investment. Pacing styles were equally effective, but students with a deadline action pacing style showed significantly higher efficiency compared to their counterparts. This research adds essential insight into the antecedents and consequences of pacing styles in an academic context and confirms its relevance for understanding academic achievement.

学生的时间和精力投入是学习成绩的关键指标。但是，关于考试准备中的精力分配如何影响考试成绩的知识鲜为人知。在一项五波纵向纵向研究中，我们调查了学生的节奏安排（即考试准备过程中随着时间的分配）与绩效的有效性和效率之间的关系。我们还研究了以行为为中心的自我领导策略是否可以预测学生的节奏风格。非线性潜伏类增长分析揭示了四种与组织环境中的步调样式相对应的节奏模式：努力投资分配为截止日期（45.1％），稳定（35.0％），倒U形（10.7％）和U形（9.0％）。以行为为导向的自我领导策略可以预测这些努力投入的模式。起搏风格同样有效，但是具有截止日期动作起搏风格的学生与同龄人相比，效率显着提高。这项研究为学术环境中起搏风格的前因和后果提供了必不可少的见解，并证实了其与理解学术成就的相关性。