Another reason for doing at least one exam before going solo (Air Law is as suitable as any) is that the student is already 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through their PPL.
This means that at least they get a bit of a kick up the A%se and get some of the studying done.
I did my PPL in the US in 4 weeks a couple of years ago and out of a group of 5 of us 3 failed to complete the course because they had underestimated the amount of work they needed to do to pass the exams. There flying and communicating skills was up to skill test standard.
Also, I have to disagree with the following:
Could it not be the case that a candidate who cannot express himself well, and logically, on paper is unlikely to be able effectively to communicate in a stressful situation? These are the kind of criteria I apply in one of my professional tasks, when recruiting, for example. (An ill-expressed, misspelt, ungrammatical CV would not receive a second look.) I only ask in order to stimulate further debate, since I am not sure how far using that activity as a metaphor for flying training is valid.
Flying requires a multitude of skills to do it well. Communication being just one of them.
However, I know that when I did my FIC and had to explain/teach subjects you then realise whether you understand a subject or not (usually not
).
FIS.