There is a discussion about whether someone can become a designer without graduating from an art college. The conclusion is that it is possible. However, there are certain skills that are quite difficult to acquire without a degree from an art college (specifically, admission based on practical skills). These skills include the ability to objectively summarize and capture the overall image and details of a phenomenon while switching between macro and micro perspectives, as well as drawing skills.
There are people wondering why art colleges, which do not focus on drawing, require drawing skills in their entrance exams. It seems that there are abstract skills that are required and drawing is a suitable subject for testing those skills.
In Western art colleges, there may not be drawing exams, so it is unclear whether this method is highly effective. However, it can be seen as a comprehensive test of the skills necessary for art, such as observation skills and attention to detail. For example, understanding the characteristics of a specific medium, like pencils, and how they can be used for expression based on those characteristics. This includes considering factors such as using H-series (6H, 5H, 4H, etc.) pencils for distant views, as they appear thinner due to atmospheric perspective. Some aspects are formulaic, but it is possible to learn how to utilize the characteristics of a medium for expression. Other skills that can be observed include concentration to complete a piece within six hours, knowledge of composition and the effects of light, and the amount of effort put into practice.
However, ultimately, the main reason why drawing skills are still used in entrance exams is because they allow for the exclusion of subjective judgment by examiners, compared to other methods.
It is somewhat similar to the importance of mathematical skills in science in general. Drawing is used as a tool and mathematical thinking is important.