[Misfire]

You're making a mistake assuming that standardized tests actually set a floor. I teach standardized testing for a living (maybe I'm part of the problem, but I do it for the monies), and can tell you without a doubt that most standardized tests can be beaten with almost no actual knowledge of the subject matter.

Standardized testing plus teach-to-the-test curricula create a lot of false positives, allowing ill-equipped students into programs they are not at all qualified to attend.