It seems to be a sign of the times. The Brittish Judo Assostiation have anouced that their gradings will be done in a simular way the thing that attaracted me to Judo was you only got graded by winning fights. You used to then fight 4 1st Ques in a line up to achive 1st dan. They then changed it so you got points for a win etc so you could achive 1st dan over time.
I am not saying its any less hard it just feels better that you beat someone to achive your grade. One of my friends went to Japan and visited a Dojo overthere, the sensei asked him why he was there and he said he wanted a blackbelt. So the Sensei just passed one to him and said there you go. He then went onto say that it simbalises nothing and that you must find the skill within yourself or something like that.