Aren't exams suppose to test people?

This yet another email I received about how Malaysia is shooting itself in the foot. Our people are becoming more and more incompetent as the years go by. To some degree, things like this are not helping.
Just to note that the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia or STPM is Malaysia's equivelent to America's SAT and U.K's A Levels examinations.

Is the objective of STPM is to pass people? For the government of Malaysia, it sure seems that way.

How do you explain the fact that 87% of the students passed the examinations of the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) recently? When during my grandfather's time only 10% would have passed? Are students getting smarter? Or are STPM questions getting easier?
Let me put things in their proper perspective.

During my grandfather's time, they would ask exam questions like:

In what year did Parameswara founded the kingdom of Melaka?

The correct answer was "1402", and they found that only 10% of the students managed to answer the question correctly. This didn't go down too well with the government, because this made us look stupid. So the objective of the exams was to have more people pass.

I mean, what's the point of having exams if people fail? right?

So later, they found another way to ask the same question:

Parameswara founded the kingdom of Melaka in the year:

(a) 2001
(b) 2004

(c) 1986

(d) 1975

(e) 1402

Tick the correct answer.

The results were better in that 20% of the students passed. But it was still not good enough, so the government tried another different way a few years later.

Parameswara founded the kingdom of Melaka in the year 1402. True or false?

Well, half of the students guessed "True" and the other half guessed "False". Fully 50% passed. The results were getting pretty acceptable by now.

Most other countries would be satisfied with a 50% passing rate, but not us. We are a better country, because we are a "boleh" (can do) country. The government then cracked their heads and then came out with this one:

Read the following sentence carefully.

"Parameswara, the cousin of Proton-Iswara, founded the kingdom of Melaka in the year 1402."

Underline the name of the person who founded Melaka.

60% underlined "Parameswara", 30% underlined "Proton-Iswara" and 10% underlined "1402". Hooiyoh......60% managed to pass! So krever!

But for some reason, the authorities were still not contented. So last year, they came out with this gem:

One day in the year 1402, Parameswara founded the kingdom of Melaka. Then he went home to have dinner. What did he eat?

13% handed in blank answers, 57% wrote "Maggi Mee", and 10% wrote "Kentucky Fried Chicken", and 20% wrote "Tree bark".

The official answer was "Food" of course!

After the grading was over, it was found that 87% of the students had passed.

87%............now that's pretty impressive! Yeah! 'Malaysia Boleh' indeed.

You can just imagine how the government would now boast. "So it's true. The students are indeed getting smarter."

HEH... this may be an internet joke-type email, but it I think there is some truth to it to some degree. Either way, it doesn't look good for Malaysia. If we think nothing is wrong, then nothing new is learnt. We Malaysian's go around thinking 'we are the best' or made to believe that we are, but in actuality, we suck. Having travelled to other Asian countries, currently under developed, I can see that they will all soon rise above Malaysia in every way. This is simply because their peoples have endured more failure. As a result their attitudes and resolve are far superior compare to us Malaysians. It is only through failure can we grow. Success should measured by how well be handle and recover from failure.

Thanks to Andrea Soh for forwarding this to me.