No, passing exams is not a measure of intelligence

Following my opinion piece earlier today, “Why twelve A-Levels is not ‘whizkid’ brilliance, but a failure of guidance,” I received a message from a reader suggesting that perhaps students who sit for an unusually high number of A-Level subjects are simply trying to prove their intelligence.

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The comment was not hostile; in fact, it was honest and reflective of a belief many of us grew up with.

And that is precisely why it deserves a serious response.

The view expressed by that reader is not isolated.

It represents a deeply ingrained societal myth: that passing exams—especially many of them, and with high grades—is the clearest, even highest, proof of intelligence.

In my earlier article, I raised concerns about a growing trend in which students compete to sit for five, ten, or even twelve A-Level subjects, despite the reality that universities and colleges typically require only three, sometimes fewer.

I argued that A-Level is meant to be a stage of focus and specialization, not accumulation, and that encouraging excess reflects a failure by teachers, career guidance counsellors, and parents to offer proper direction.

That argument stands.

However, the reader’s comment forces us to interrogate something even more fundamental: the assumption that academic performance is a reliable proxy for intelligence itself.

Let us be honest.

Passing exams does not measure intelligence; it measures exam performance.

Exams are designed to assess how well a student has mastered a prescribed syllabus and how efficiently they can reproduce that knowledge under time constraints.

They reward memory, consistency, discipline, and familiarity with testing formats.

These are valuable attributes, but they are not the sum total of intelligence.

To treat them as such is to misunderstand both intelligence and education.

Intelligence is not a trophy earned through accumulation, but a capacity revealed through use.

It includes the ability to think critically rather than accept information at face value; to reason independently instead of merely echoing what one has been taught; to solve unfamiliar problems for which there are no model answers; and to adapt when circumstances change and old formulas no longer work.

It involves understanding human behaviour, navigating relationships, exercising judgment, and making decisions whose consequences extend beyond an examination room.

It also manifests in creativity and innovation — the capacity to imagine alternatives, design solutions, and bring new ideas into being.

These are the forms of intelligence that shape lives, institutions, and societies.

None of these qualities can be reliably measured by how many subjects one passes at A-Level.

An exam can test whether a student remembers what was taught, but it cannot test how they will think when faced with a novel problem, moral dilemma, or unpredictable real-world challenge.

It cannot measure curiosity, courage, discernment, or wisdom.

It cannot tell us whether someone can connect ideas across disciplines, learn from failure, or adjust when reality refuses to follow the script.

This is why it is entirely possible for a student to excel spectacularly in examinations yet struggle outside the classroom.

We have all encountered people with impressive academic records who are unable to make sound decisions, work effectively with others, or translate theory into practice.

Their schooling trained them to pass tests, not to think deeply or act wisely.

The system rewarded correctness, not understanding; compliance, not insight.

Conversely, many individuals who passed only a few subjects — or even failed in formal academic settings — go on to demonstrate exceptional intelligence in real life.

They build businesses from nothing, lead communities with wisdom, innovate in their trades, or solve problems that textbooks never anticipated.

Their intelligence reveals itself not in certificates, but in judgment, adaptability, initiative, and impact.

These are the people who see what needs to be done and find ways to do it, often with limited resources and no formal recognition.

When viewed this way, the obsession with accumulating A-Level subjects in order to “prove intelligence” becomes not only misguided but tragic.

Intelligence does not announce itself through excess.

It shows itself through relevance, purpose, and the effective use of one’s abilities in the real world.

That is the truth we owe our children — and the myth we must finally abandon.

This is where our collective confusion becomes dangerous.

When we equate intelligence with exam success, we begin to chase symbols rather than substance.

We start encouraging children to pile up subjects not because those subjects serve a purpose, but because they look impressive.

The focus shifts from why one is studying to how much one can accumulate.

In that environment, sitting for twelve A-Level subjects becomes a badge of honour rather than a question mark.

Yet no serious education system measures brilliance by excess alone.

It is worth acknowledging that many of us were shaped by this belief.

I was too.

Like many high-performing students, I grew up being described as “highly intelligent” by teachers largely because I did well in school.

But with the benefit of hindsight and experience, one must ask: was that an accurate assessment, or simply a convenient label?

Was it intelligence that was being measured, or compliance with an academic system designed to reward certain cognitive styles over others?

The danger of this myth is not merely philosophical; it has real human and economic consequences, particularly in a country like Zimbabwe.

When families already struggling with poverty are persuaded—explicitly or implicitly—that their child’s intelligence must be proven through an ever-increasing number of subjects, the cost can be devastating.

Examination fees, tuition, textbooks, and extra lessons add up quickly.

Some parents sell their few remaining assets or sink deeper into debt to finance subjects that add no real value to their child’s future.

All this in pursuit of an illusion.

What makes this especially troubling is that the child is often not making an informed choice.

At eighteen, most students are still finding their bearings.

They rely on adults for guidance.

When teachers, counsellors, and parents fail to challenge the equation of intelligence with exam quantity, they abdicate that responsibility.

The result is a young person burdened with unnecessary pressure, chasing validation in a system that was never designed to define human worth.

There are far better words to describe a student who performs well academically: hardworking, disciplined, focused, academically gifted.

These are genuine strengths and should be celebrated.

But intelligence is something else entirely.

It reveals itself over time, in how people think, decide, adapt, and contribute to society.

It is seen in entrepreneurs who build solutions, in artisans who master their craft, in caregivers who navigate complex human needs, in thinkers who challenge harmful ideas, and in leaders who exercise wisdom under pressure.

Many of these people were never academic superstars.

So when a reader suggests that sitting for many A-Level subjects might be about proving intelligence, the appropriate response is clear: intelligence does not need such proof.

It certainly does not require draining family resources or exhausting young minds with pointless accumulation.

Real intelligence is purposeful.

It knows when enough is enough.

It values depth over breadth, application over appearance, meaning over medals.

If we truly care about our children, we must stop pushing them into unnecessary academic contests in the name of intelligence.

We must guide them toward clarity, relevance, and value.

Education should prepare them for life, not trap them in myths that serve no one.

Passing exams may open doors, but it is not a measure of intelligence.

And the sooner we accept that, the fairer and wiser our guidance to the next generation will be.

• Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/