The format of my recent training was as follows; the first 4 or 5 hours started with a pre-flight briefing of the days exercises and then focussed on general familliarisation with the a/c during the preflight inspections that I did with my instructor, followed by a sortie to the local area for general handling training. At the end of each sortie I was nearly always asked to have a crack at landing the a/c - if I made a mess of it, the instructor took over.
Thereafter nearly all the traing was in the circuit, where gardually I took over more and more of the flying and rt until, after 16 hours, the instructor got out and let me do it for myself.
If none of the above is happening, you should firstly have a word with the CFI and, if no change in attitude is forthcoming, you should change schools PDQ.
As for the exams, if you're refering to the writen seven exams for the PPL, they should give you a slip each time you take an exam with your results on it (whether you fail or not). You have a right to this information as you have paid for it, and it is valid elsewhere. The market is tough in GA at the moment, especially with ab initio pilot training. Don't get fobbed off with what you are currently being given! Best of British!