Exams and exams

I was just wondering if taking exams are inevitable nowadays. What is the original purpose of exams? I suppose initially it is used to gauge a person's grasp of learning so that extra assistance could be given to the ones who fare poorly. Maybe somewhere along the line, exams are then used to distinguish between "good" and "bad" students. So that the "good" ones can be given further opportunities to excel.

Then where is the line where exams have outlived their purpose? Or is there a line? Exams are now more a less a tool to "prove one's ability". For a purpose...scholarships? jobs? promotions?

I think up to a certain stage exams are useful for the above because there is no better way of "fairly" distributing out something limited. But after a certain stage it's really pointless. Come to think of it, exams are really useless to distinguish the potential of a person. After all exams are just as good as the examiners only. If you don't need or don't want to prove yourself to others why take an exam? The only reason I can think of is "that certificate" will bring "recognition"by others and the accompanying privileges. It's the certificate which says you're qualified...or is it? Exams techniques can be learnt and mastered. One can study for exams and then forget everything. So does exam results really show the "quality" of the person? I think not.

So are we taking exams merely so that we are "recognized" by others? If so it's really sad. We're not studying for the sake of passion but to be recognized by others. That's the reality of life. The reality of life is, "paper qualifications" are seen by public as proof of knowledge whether it is truely so or not. And that's the only way to attain certain things in life. It doesn't matter if you have been studying for decades out of passion but if you don't have a paper which is signed by another person...well...it's a tough ride.

Looking at history, a person once said the earth was round but didn't have any papers nor recognition by his peers who said it was flat and all was left of him was a memory...dang...can't even remember his name now although he was right in the end!

The sad thing called exams. So my conclusion is taking exams are never for knowledge but rather to get something you want from others.