Michael, I just spent a good 10 minutes searching for the word "FAA" in the official PDF with the official ruling (from the flightschoolcandidates website) and I could not find any reference to what SoCal claims, namely that TSA only applies to candidates wishing to train for FAA certificates. So I respectfully disagree with SoCal still, and I suggest you either read the full ruling yourself or ask your flight school of choice or the TSA/AFSP directly. But I think the FAQ is cutting corners in this respect.
Do not take this lightly though. As soon as you made your final decision as to what school and what period you intend to go, start working on the paperwork (M-1 visa, TSA) ASAP. It really did take me a month to get an interview at the embassy!
Also, despite the fact that you might indeed not have to do a single exam (except the silly 17-question exam which is more of a "cover the schools ass" thing than anything else) it helps enormously if you've got all the theory learned. Things simply fall into place much quicker.