When doubt exists, a pilot under check should never be pinged for doing a worst case checklist.
And that is the nub of it and why this thread exists at all.
There is a tendency to drift towards the unquestioning following of SOPs and that there is only one way (my way) of dealing with an issue that gives a positive outcome. There are very, very few circumstances that require immediate action with no real time to think about it first (high-speed RTO comes to mind). Although an engine failure seems like a simple thing with clearly defined actions as a result, even this is not as straightforward as it seems.
One of our training documents is a 40-page interactive book covering some of the engine failure possibilities and ways to deal with them. OK, you say, but to keep things simple, the manufacturers have distilled all that into a few choices that are simple to action in a time of high workload. Absolutely true, I say, but you can still end up in a cul-de-sac if you rush in blindly without due mental process. Imagine you go through a flock of birds after takeoff (does happen) and there are a few pops but the engines are still running. Shortly after that you notice the EGTs are high on both and then there is a fire warning on one engine. SOPs say to shut it down and fire the bottle but is that wise *right now*, especially as it is still producing thrust? What are we going to do if we get a fire warning on the remaining engine?
I’m sure everyone reading this would pause and reassess the situation, should it happen to them, but if you continually beat people over the head to follow SOPs no matter of any indication to the contrary, it might lead to a sub-optimal outcome. The fate of the French Concorde was sealed when a running engine was shut down due to a fire warning, leaving not enough thrust to stay airborne. Yes, it was probably going to crash anyway but that action made it a certainty.