Thanks for your replies.
Pretty well confirms my suspicions. Why did I ask? Well, currently I have 2 UAS students on PPL scholarships and their attitude to formal theoretical knowledge examinations is somewhat disappointing. The exams are not hard; if some 16 year old civvy paying to learn to fly can out in the effort, then so can some UAS bod who is paying nothing for a PPL scholarship...
I don't know what used to happen up in clogs-and-whippet land at Scouseport field, 6Z3 me old mucker, but dahn sarff we were expected to attend training nights every Thursday for groundschool lectures (followed by a beer and a bite in the Chinese over the road befor the last tube back east). Also, 'CEB' exams had to be passed before the PFB test - and no PFB meant a delayed entry to Towers.
As for "The UAS system at present provides for a lot more of a rounded introduction to the RAF and Forces life in general.", that's horsefeathers. The Air Cadets do a much better job.
Incidentally