Assessment ? ...write it off and put it down to experience.
FTA have a very good reputation. They have been the school of choice for a number of students who got kicked out of the integrated courses after having had too many fails at ground exams (4 is the limit at at least one integrated school). RAF attitudes and "chop" mentality which they think maintains standards still prevail in the bigger outfits! It worked out well for them - they were complete and getting jobs while their former classmates got stuck taking many months due to lack of instructors at integrated schools due to worsening Ts&Cs/pay/buoyant job market. Although industrial relations generally are in a poor state in aviation (BA being an example).
9 months for groundschool will be due to it being over three phases at FTA with the associated gaps due to exams etc. The integrated schools do it in 6 months in an attempt to keep to their 15-16 month advertised schedule. All pointless "hurry up and then wait" nonsense when they have students with all exams complete who then sit around for months waiting for flying training to start. Just pointless really. Better to give up the fiction of a 15 month course and will make it a more honest two years ? When everyone realises that you can get the whole course done as a modular student in about 6 months less than an "integrated" takes, then plans must change.
Perhaps they will abandon "integrated" entirely at CAE, which is why they cannot finalise course details ? And go for a modular approach ? "Integrated" has not been really the case for almost 20 years, it is just modular back-to-back with all the groundschool up front and about 50 hours clipped off the flying. Airlines have see through the b/s over the past 3-4 years and now take from either route. Big school names mean little to them. They just choose ones with a CPL/IR who do well in the interview and sim assessment.
Also at your age, and with some flying experience, you would be asked questions as to why you did not take the modular route. It would suggest lack of initiative and imagination !