How to improve entrance exam

At this time of the year when entrance examination season is at its hight,I always look forward to checking what this year's exam questions are in some major universities.The story about China's economy I picked up yesterday is also from them.
Common criticism for entrance exam is that entrance examination doen't make any sense because it has few relation with practical skill which students need in their future career.However,things seem to be changing recently by inducing English listening test or in-class essay exam.Therefore,I also find some useful materials out of exam questions though it already passed nearly 20 years since I sat for that exam.
One significant trend now is that there are fewer applicants for prestigious universities like Tokyo university while such students are more stability oriented like applying for medical university in order to secure certain skill.In my case I'm also graduated that university,but I also have no idea what skill I required there.
This trend must originally be brought from recent tough economic situation where unemployed rate is high and many graduates can't find job.Things seem to be similar in other Asian countries.
I hope education system including exam questions would improve its quality so that more young people can be as useful for the society as possible.
P.S.What I'm always wondering is there sometimes exsits wide gap between one's job performance and his past academic performance.I wish someone can show clear evidence for its reason.