I am unsure if this is a bug or by design so I'm putting it here first. The normal version of Cram Exam Act for most factions is:

For the Nakalim, it appears a faction-specific version was created:

This version appears to be designed to only be available later in the game (requiring Entrenched) and provide a slightly larger science boost than the traditional version. 

The problem is that it apparently assigns the additional science output to the "planet" and thus gets completely reduced to 0 by the faction trait "Beliefs Not Breakthroughs." This means that passing this law is literally just a net loss of approval for absolutely no gain. 

To demonstrate, the series of pictures below show the -40 Approval from Cram Exam Act on my system Artemis in the game. This would mean a net gain of +80 Science for the same 20 population on the system if the law was working as intended. However, there is absolutely no gain to Science at all. 

In the final picture, the additional 319.5 science is from my trade routes.

Is this by design or an oversight of how the game applies the Cram Exam Act bonus to planets and is thus negated by the faction trait unintentionally? 

The Nakalim start out as a Republic and therefore their laws are intensified (just like any other faction that has Republic). So what you are seeing with Cram Exam Act is the +1 science per pop boost to the law because of Republic. I agree, this is confusing, because I often forget that my faction has Republic and instead I think "oh, the devs gave them a modified law that is specific to them" but that isn't the case. I would like to see Republic's effect be clearly noted on the display.

In regards to its actual negative effect (having only a negative impact because the Beliefs not Breakthroughs trait makes it null) - well - technically speaking - its working exactly as it should, but yes, the developers of this expansion should have made a Nakalim specific adjustment to this law or outright removed it from them. I believe this slipped through the cracks when they released the expansion. It is also odd how it only becomes available when "Entrenched" and not immediately at the start of the game. I think this also signifies that they were going to make a proper adjustment/removal of this law, but it slipped through.

Also of note, Ionic Crystals (the + science per pop luxury resource) will also not do anything for a system if it is chosen for development. This also, at least in a sense of wonkiness/consistency, is an oversight of the devs.