@Despada thats what happens when you go for quality rather than quality and quantity. They could easily put the mages that fail the promotion test under the guidance of a superior mage but they dont.
I hope the author pulls some "it is a plot by demons to make Humans easier prey."
@Crookshanks I dont think it should be viewed in that way. Think of this like a Marital Arts teacher going against the pupil, its more like practical training than it is an actual match. He wants to see how she applies what she's learned and how she fights against a superior adversary. Of he one...