The tests do have their problems, but I don’t think they are so easily gamed by the test-taking population at large. The ones that are able to understand and apply the code-cracking principles are usually capable of understanding the materials. Why tests have the weird psychology in their construction is intriguing. My daughter took a prep class for the LSAT, and the program was about recognizing question types and how to approach the correct answer. While she didn’t ace the test, she did well enough to be accepted to two law schools at age 19. (Oddly, 19 year olds in law school is more common than you would think.) Perhaps the tests are less about the subject matter and more about measuring abstract thinking and reasoning. Students are often more dominant in one of either language and mathematical analytics, and the test prep programs seem to help equalize the weaker ability.