Advancements in technology, along with increased awareness and literacy, have drastically increased the intelligence of the average person. Only fifty years ago tests were based on memorization of terms, and the writing out of definitions. However in recent years, grading and testing have changed so that questions no longer ask the meaning of a word rather explain the purpose of the object in society and the long term effects it's application could have.
You will find that many students who do exceptionally well at tests and exams will often be able to do little else. Many students hire tutors to increase their grades, a common practice of tutors is to "teach by repetition" in which a student practices a set of information so many times that he inevitably learns it. It is argued that there is no problem with this method and we all know "practice makes perfect." But repetition doesn't make a genius, nor will it necessarily make you successful.
We have all heard the poem, "All I need to know i learned in kindergarten." The poem mentions all the valuable life skills that are so soon forgotten, everything that is deemed as logic, which is seldom followed. Which brings me back to my point, exams such as the HSC(AU) and the SATs(USA) basically determine your future, so much so that it has created a multi-billion dollar industry. This industry advertises better results and new ways of "beating the system." However you can come first in math and english, top chemistry and physics, get into university for nuclear engineering, then realize that you have no place their. If you are a good student you will do well, however you may just as soon realize that you could have stolen a spot in the best university, from someone of greater intelligence, who fell just a few marks short.
My point here is that the current methods of testing are no longer useful and far outdated. In reality, you will not have to write complex algorithm in forty minutes, without any notes, and still make it work. If your career so desires, you may write that algorithm, but without notes? Without text books? Without computer programs? In life, you can use whatever resources are available to you (within realm of reason) to get ahead and accomplish your goals.
Practical exams are an excellent way to measure intelligence because they use reasoning and logic to solve a problem. Those familiar with Odyssey of the Mind, in this competition participating teams are given a task, a couple couple months of time, to solve the problem and present it at the competition. Once the problem is solved that solution must be CREATIVELY presented, this competition teaches teamwork, respect for ideas, and proper use of resources.
Competitions like odyssey of the mind are better than exams or tests because they teach important skills, not just memorization and "cramming" for exams. IQ tests administered by a reputable educator are possibly the best-way of interpreting a persons intelligence. The basis of an IQ test bases intelligence on the answer you choose, not whether or not it is correct, different questions can be interpretted differently depending on the thought process of the individual. Many highly intelligent people don't deal well at school due to a number of factors, mainly lack of motivation.
Further more it is almost impossible to make informed decisions on based on the results of a single test. Through loopholes, tutors, and just plain cheating, people can, and will always be tempted to cheat the system. Hinging someone's future on the results of a single test can have unforeseen consequences. Last year 30,000 Australians missed out on university because their grades on the HSC(higher school certificate) were lower than the rest. Respectively, many of those people may not have been smart enough to enter into university, but lets think about those that were. Highly intelligent people, whose dreams were held off till another year, maybe the day of the test they had a bad day, maybe they drew a blank, maybe they just don't test well.
Their are numerous reasons that tests and exams aren't suitable for determining a students future. In the next fifty to one hundred years we should see a move away from exams, just like schools moved away from mindless repetition. We should see practical examinations take over, events like oddyssey of the mind will start determining grades, along with the FIRST industries robotics competitions. This type-of activity will be pioneered in all fields besides science.
