The problem is the author went to school too many years ago and missed the ubiquitous "how to take standardized tests" curriculum.
These days kids are taught from kindergarten on how to take standardized tests. My sixth grader can look at a test question and narrow it down to two answers before even reading the question. And for math, he doesn't solve the problem, he plugs the two answers in to see which is right.
I teach math at a community college and it is common to have students test into math classes that they don't have the basic prerequisites for - just because they test well.
These days kids are taught from kindergarten on how to take standardized tests. My sixth grader can look at a test question and narrow it down to two answers before even reading the question. And for math, he doesn't solve the problem, he plugs the two answers in to see which is right.
I teach math at a community college and it is common to have students test into math classes that they don't have the basic prerequisites for - just because they test well.