There are severak aspects of smart - desire to seek information (curiosity/inquisitivity), digesting that information (understanding), including that information with previously learned information (integration), using that information to alter a current situation (problem solving and application), coming uo with new ways of using acquired information and asking questions to bring about new types/uses for information (creativity).
Now, there is a current practice that previous achievements should not be taken too seriously and that though process should serve as basis for whether or not a person’s smartness should be employed. Educators are also of the idea that instead of praising intelligence (static), praise hardwork (application, fluid).
Process, application of ability, fluency of thinking - these are the factors of smartness that smart people are innately aware of or at least some idea of. Some people do not going through the process of learning that would have them seen as smart in situation. Smartness is not like tallness. Once a maximum length is reached a tall person is tall and that's it. Other people may be taller. Same as how other people may be smarter - they see patterns more intuitively, the understand and integrate information for creative application much faster and are better able to ask questions that will challenge what is known to result in new information synthesis.