Some quick thoughts:

All questions are of a rather technical nature, what about subjects such as: conceptual work, creative thinking etc. + business skills.
It seems to me that almost anyone can learn a piece of software or make himself familiar with the technical aspects of a designers work. Surely, no designer has ever been hired because he can use ex. Indesign - it is more a given.

Plus, create an online form if you really want feedback on your individual questions. The whole PDF / Submit(t) doesn't work.
http://polldaddy.com/ is a good place for this.

Good luck!

> It seems to me that almost anyone
> can learn a piece of software...

Most of the young people I've interviewed have decent software skills but are lacking in conceptual and communication skills. It's amazing how many resumes have typos and are poorly written, for example.

Make it project-based.

Change minor requirements a few times in the middle of each project.

Include a round of feedback where changes are required without any rational reasoning.

Start each project with a brief. Have the students right a de-brief after hearing about the context of the project.

Have them present their concept BEFORE they begin designing.

Attach a grade to their professionalism during the process.

Have them report their time as they work and include it with project documentation. Give them a budget (of time) to stay within.

Every project should be presented formally, in person, with a slide-based presentation.

Attach a grade to how well they matched their original concept and target audience.

Teach them to edit a portfolio to only their best work.

If you can manage to do that, regardless of the technical details of the program, they will come out expecting real life, rather than lab-conditions.

I agree with this and see too many would-be designers lacking conceptual/foundational/historical/ethical knowledge hit and miss at the simplest projects, that I often find the job better done myself when it comes to the important stuff.

and, the youngins' always demonstrate the worst refinement in written and oft verbal communication, too.

I filled out your online survey, but the "submit" button didn't seem to do anything, and when I tried saving the PDF to my desktop all my answers were lost.

Posting a survey as a PDF is bad design. ;)