Someone needs to point out to the examiner that the circling approach in the simulator is not part of the IR. It is simply an excersise to demonstrate the pitfalls of such an approach
The circling approach is a mandatory instrument test item in Australia and New Zealand - whether in a light twin or airliner. If however, the instrument rating test is done "in house" as part of an airline's cyclic training using the simulator and the company operational policy is that circling approaches are not to be conducted on line flying, then the circling approach test need not be conducted.
While there is value in practicing a circling approach in a simulator as part of training (rather than as a test), in my view it should be practiced in CAVOK and not with the limiting visibility minima. This is due to the visual display limitations of the simulator design.
Interestingly, there is one simulator training provider in USA who conducts type rating on the A320 where the circling approach is conducted at 300 feet above ground level and where full use of the FMC for plotting turning positions is taught. I would hate to be circling at that altitude in any aeroplane - FMC equipped or purely visual...
In terms of a purely visual day/night visual approach such as joining downwind on a normal 1500 ft circuit in a 737, the technique of "drawing" the circuit with waypoints and whatever for base and final fixes, does seem rather gimmicky, in my opinion. Surely pilots' manipulative handling skills and judgement of a circuit have not been degraded to the point where blind and almost total reliance on automatics is considered so vital to the safe and efficient conduct of a flight? It is common to observe in simulator training the almost indecent haste by pilots to engage the automatic pilot after take off for the most simple of exercises such as a circuit or all-engines ILS.