In 2025, a student can speak to an AI and get a clear, concise explanation of quantum physics in seconds. Yet, in schools and universities around the world, we still ask students to memorise the definition of Newton’s Laws and reproduce them in timed exam halls as if nothing has changed in the last hundred years.

It’s time we addressed the elephant in the classroom: our methods of student assessment are fundamentally outdated. The emphasis on memory based examinations made sense in an era when access to information was difficult, knowledge was scarce, and success depended on how much a person could retain. But in today’s information saturated world, where data is more accessible than ever, this approach no longer serves students, educators, or society.

Let’s be honest: memorisation is not understanding. A student might memorise a list of economic theories and score an ‘A’ on an exam, but that doesn’t mean they understand how to apply those theories in a real-world scenario such as during a national crisis or in advising a business. What matters today is not how much one remembers, but how well one can apply, adapt, evaluate, and solve problems using available information and tools.

And yes those tools now include artificial intelligence.

Just as calculators were once feared as the ‘death of mathematics’ (and later became essential learning aids), AI is often unfairly viewed as a shortcut or even a threat in education. But we must recognise this for what it is: fear of change, not reasoned critique. In reality, the ability to collaborate with AI to gather insights, improve productivity, and generate new ideas is rapidly becoming a core skill one that should be taught, nurtured, and evaluated.

Let’s consider the working world. Who gets ahead in a workplace? Is it the person who remembers the most facts? Or is it the one who can problem-solve under pressure, seek out the right resources, and deliver solutions efficiently? Employers consistently value adaptability, communication skills, initiative, and smart use of tools over outdated notions of who ‘knows the most.’

Why then, do we continue to test students as though they’re competing to be walking encyclopaedias?

In the professional world, there is no exam. There is performance. There is impact. The faster and more effectively someone can solve a problem even with help the more valuable they are. Students should be assessed on the same principles. Can they apply knowledge in unfamiliar situations? Can they collaborate, innovate, and evolve their thinking when new information is introduced? Can they use tools, including AI, ethically and effectively?

Traditional exams are not just outdated they’re harmful. They reward short-term cramming, not long-term learning. They create anxiety, stifle creativity, and often disadvantage students who may be brilliant thinkers but poor memorisers. Worse, they promote a system where learning is seen as a means to an end passing a test rather than a lifelong process of growth.

By contrast, project-based assessments, open-book exams, group tasks, research portfolios, and real-world simulations offer a more accurate and fair measure of what a student can actually do with what they’ve learned. These approaches better reflect how the world works outside the classroom.

We’re already seeing some progressive education systems adopt these models. Countries like Finland have long prioritised creativity and application over rote memorisation, and the results speak for themselves. Their students routinely rank among the highest in global education benchmarks not because they memorise more, but because they understand more and use it better.

We must stop treating knowledge as something to be hoarded and regurgitated. It’s not about what you know anymore it’s about how you think. Can you question, investigate, and apply knowledge? Can you learn new things on your own? Can you stay curious, even after the test is over?

These are the real measures of intelligence and success in today’s world. And these are the qualities our assessments should be designed to identify and nurture.

The future belongs to those who can learn, unlearn, and relearn quickly, ethically, and with purpose. It’s time our education systems caught up.

Let us not prepare students to succeed in the past. Let us prepare them to shape the future.

Chathura Kotagama is a senior administrator in private higher education and an advocate for student wellbeing and systemic reform in Sri Lanka’s education sector. He writes on leadership, mental health, and education policy.