FAA IR
I think FFF has it correct and for that matter so does the FAA. (I find that hard to say)
The tough airwork is the CPL exam. Really very little precise airwork involved in the IR. It is also a lot more realistic in terms of what a pilot needs. The practical effect is it means a lot more GA pilots will get an IR rating which overall is good policy.
You can do your IR checkride in a plane without an ADF and good bye any NDB work. (Any savy student will get the ADF placarded or simply turn the power off and say it doesn't work). Another recent innovation is they can test you on using anything in your plane - including that new fangled GPS and require that you know how to use your autopilot. It is really hard to see the point in requiring NDB holds using a compass.
The European policy seems very counterproductive except for examiners who collect very hefty fees.
20driver