I'd like someone to explain to me how doing well on an international standardized test somehow refutes the rote learning claim.

I mean, yes, I am every bit as skeptical as I sound, but it is a serious question as well, if someone has a concrete answer. It's very easy to say that these test results prove that they are not just pulling things out of their memory banks, but that doesn't mean there's any actual logic or truth behind that claim, and I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to get from the results to the claim.