Mordacai,
As stated, I kind of agree - but not wholly. For example, anyone on an integrated course is NOT necessarily licenced, at all, in any way, by the time they take their CPL...although you would admittedly hope their school would't put them forward for a test if they were that bad!
It's a bit of a weird one...because I definitely see - and back - the logic that the student is in charge and should run it as though the examiner knows nothing...but then, being slightly less contentious - after all the student is under immense pressure, what happens if there's a serious pilot incapacitation issue? What happens if there's an aircraft failure that's beyond the expected capacity of a student at that level (and admittedly, I can't think of a good example!)....but the point is there's definitely scope for the examiner HAVING to take control to safely conclude the flight.
Seems just daft to me to not do a brake check, but then - I'm not an examiner. It just doesn't seem to me that it reflects in any way on the pilots capablitity whether or not the examiner checks brakes or not!
I do fully agree however, that the time to check is in the pre flight briefing!
Perhaps overall it's one that the national aviation authorities should remove any doubt about, by stating what the expectation is in the test description and notes for students/examiners....