They're only trying to measure what they want to measure?! Three letter agencies can use the exact same argument, it's basically a carte blanche.

I don't buy the argument with effort grades. There's nothing admirable about studying very hard without getting something out of it; what matters is the effectiveness.

If it is a "problem" that someone with talent can finish a course with an A without studying, then obviously such people need a more difficult course, rather than being punished for finishing something without studying.