What are we to make of this year's exam results?

The pass rate at Higher is up slightly while Advanced Higher is up by slightly more. English has risen by 0.7% while Maths is down by 0.8%.

The question remains, is there something built in to the processes of the Scottish Qualifications Agency which ensures there are no significant rises or falls year on year?

Almost certainly, there will be the usual controversies. The exams are too easy, argue some; the marking is either too lenient or too harsh.

Most likely, teachers are getting better at preparing the young people for the exams given the countless hours spent in every school doing past papers, timed pieces and revision. Or, perish the thought, maybe the young people are simply putting more effort into their studies?

Is it time to ask more fundamental questions about the function of exams in the modern world? Why do we need them?

Do they, as TS Eliot suggested, enable schools to "preserve the class and select the elite"? Do they simply make the job of universities and employers easier? Do they measure intelligence … whatever that is?

More importantly, do they tell us anything about whether or not the curriculum is delivering on its goals?

It is doubtful whether the current format of exams tells us much about whether young people are leaving school as successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors or responsible citizens. But, that may be because our current system of exams is not sophisticated or nuanced enough.

Marching hundreds of young people into a hall and asking them to write as fast as they can, in silence, about this or that topic, will simply not do in the 21st century.

A national assessment system should be able to tell us whether young people are good communicators, good team players as well as self-starters, creative as well as critical thinkers and so on. As it stands, our current exam system tells us little about these skills.

Maybe we need to have less testing and more teaching; fewer exams and more learning; less accountability and more trust. Above all, we need to make it clear that failing an exam does not make you a failure for life.

l Brian Boyd is emeritus professor of education at Strathclyde University.