Should people only study language to pass the exam or for self growth?
While the time I live in China, I've experienced many Chinese students constantly and intensively learn English in order to pass certain exams in their lives. At one point I totally understand this action because scores are vital for one's success, for example becoming acceptable for their desired universities and getting their dream posts. On the other hand, I've also encountered many students struggle with daily communication even with great result of prestigious language tests. Then I wonder, are exams really reflects your genuine ability? What should be the standard of a good exam?

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I think it makes more sense to learn a language out of interest or passion for the language. You should have a personal goal. Maybe you want to travel to a country and communicate with the people there in their native language. Passing exams is never a good motivation to learn a language. Most people learn vocabulary for a test and then when the test is over, they forget all they have learnt before. And as you say, a lot of people cannot even apply whatever they have learnt when they face such situations in daily life. You may have good grades in language exams but still struggle to apply your skills when you talk to a native speaker, for example.

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I don't think exam results reflect ability, because I have crammed the night before science exams (for example) and then forgotten everything I had memorised in less than a week. Exams will most likely be like this always. 
However, I study for myself, in order to learn, improve my knowledge and because I enjoy it. It's a shame if others see it as a burden or chore.

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