So they would rather you go away non-the-wiser and re-apply next year when it's entirely conceivable that you could fall short on the same requirement thereby wasting their and your time and resources?

Surely it makes much more sense to identify the issue and allow you to try to rectify it and develop in that area so that the next time you apply they get a candidate who has all the qualities they seek in return for very little effort on their part.