Z
I don't see your point. Are you complaining that you weren't "put through the mill" enough or showing off because you memorized the 1,000 questions in the bank? You do not say whether you actually went to the US and did the actual flight test as well or just did the written test in OZ.
This subject has been covered many times on this forum and you need to realize that you are comparing chalk and cheese when you compare the FAA and JAA systems. I have been through both and have come across good and poor schools on both sides of the pond. However, the FAA do not have a "FATPL" but airlines will expect at least a couple of thousand hours and a 4 year college degree before they will interview. As a result, many potential airline pilots will take their degree in Aeronautical Sciences while attending flight school. They therefore don't really need the CPL/IR/ATPL writtens to be quite as protracted as is the case in JAR Land.
As far as the writtens here are concerned you only have to look at the postings on this site requesting exam feedback questions to see that any student, given half the chance, will take the easy route. When I came out of the exam hall here there were always ground instructors debriefing us and copying down as many questions as we could possibly regurgitate. At least the Americans are up front about it and publish the question bank officially.