Irrelevance

Exams are such a difficult concept to grasp. Exams require that everyone take the same test to determine who truly understands the knowledge presented in the course and who simply skipped class and played Xbox 360 all day. The problem is that most tests are more similar than not. So those who are simply good at answering questions in a short amount of time(say those who are quick thinkers) can do quite well without having learned as much of the information, while those are slow thinkers(those who are methodical and calculating) suffer unnecessarily. Are tests meant to judge what type of student is superior? Are they meant to aid those who can think quickly and hurt those who are more careful? That being said, I realize that there are difficulties in finding other ways to test knowledge of the material. I really think someone should look into this though. Maybe Google or Wal-mart can come up with a better way to identify those who have learned the knowledge and skill sets taught by the class as opposed to those who have simply mastered the ability to take the standard college test/exam.