> If you can't remember the pieces making up a concept, how are you going to remember the concept?
This is not mere memorization. The GP's point that not everything that makes you remember this is simply "memorization", and certainly all of those things contribute differently to creativity.
> I also have some written tests for certifying pilots.
Yes, piloting is one of the tasks where you absolutely need lots of random information memorized. You should also not do a lot of "creativity" in it.
A lot of pilots have saved their lives by being creative when the checklist solution didn't work. They were successful being creative because they knew the airplane's systems inside and out.
This is not mere memorization. The GP's point that not everything that makes you remember this is simply "memorization", and certainly all of those things contribute differently to creativity.
> I also have some written tests for certifying pilots.
Yes, piloting is one of the tasks where you absolutely need lots of random information memorized. You should also not do a lot of "creativity" in it.