What do examinations measure?

My daughter has just completed an international examination... I wonder what is the role of such examinations in our day and what purpose they will serve in future? Today, they indicate that you have attained a measure of knowledge that can be tested. They form benchmarks in the preparation for careers and vocations. But they also serve to narrow your options if you are not aware of your total abilities. As you move higher in the exam hierarchy, you become less schooled and more competent in a principle.

Whereas this was important in the past when careers were based on principles, I see that careers in future will not be based on principles, but rather on a measure of  character. Many of the principles we studied in school are being taken over by technology. Accounting, design, construction and even medicine are now driven by readily available technology.  The only difference that would make me go from one doctor to another is character. That is because the two doctors will most likely have access to the same diagnosis and interpretation kit. So what will exams try to establish in future? I think they will be designed to measure character and understanding.

Allan Bukusi