I thing the exams GP are talking about are more like competitions, absolute grade doesn't matter, rank does. Common in France and probably many other countries if you want to enter a prestigious school.

During these exams, candidates typically won't be given enough time. This is by design, and candidates will be ranked by how far they got in addition to correctness.

Also, in order to promote fairness, grading is standardized. And teachers will tell you the corners you can cut and the ones you can't.