There has been a lot of discussion about educational qualifications lately. I wrote a serious long article. If it's useful to you, take a look; if not, just pretend you didn't see it.
From tribal hunting to settled living, humanity ushered in the agricultural era of working from dawn to dusk. Everything revolves around the most important production resource: land. The family structure, of course, is based on clan aggregation. For most people, knowing the 24 solar terms, depending on the weather for food, and understanding that planting in spring and harvesting in autumn is more important than reading. Works like The Book of Lord Shang, The Salt and Iron Debate, and The Prince are representative of this era. Education and literacy are privileges of the few, hence 'all things are lowly, only reading is noble.' Therefore, a single exam can lead to great success, and with a good result, one can 'ride the spring breeze swiftly, seeing all of Chang'an's flowers in a day.'