The point of tests in higher education is for the student to get an assessment of where they are. The whole design kind of assumes that students want to learn,

The point of tests in higher education is for the student to get an assessment of where they are. The whole design kind of assumes that students want to learn, not just get a piece of paper. But that's the entirety of the higher education experience. It's all about presenting opportunities to learn and grow. People who treat it as mere credentialism are missing about 99% of the point. And yes, that includes a lot of faculty, students, and people pressuring students (to go either direction, really.) I don't see a problem with tests. I see a problem with people treating degrees as some sort of magic totem.