I don't see the regulation as badly written, although I'm not quite so clear about the question. Para (b) applies only if the skill test is to be taken in a ME aeroplane but such training must be completed before any flight training for the licence is commenced. It would, perhaps, appear more sensible to require MEP training to be completed only before the ME phase of the CPL flight training is commenced. However, when this was the case pre-EASA, some training organisations were fiddling the figures and it looks as though they're at it again.