The flight test and standards would be the same
Would that be absolutely necessary? The test standards for CPL are already more strict than for the PPL and we don't find that a problem do we?
I admit I do not possess an IR (otherwise I wouldn't bother mingling in this thread anyway) but if you allow slightly less strict standards for a PPL/IR than for a CPL/IR, and compensate for that by having, say, slightly higher departure/approach minima (published minima + 200' for instance), would that significantly impact the utility of a PPL/IR? Or maybe some system where you need to apply slightly higher minima for the first x "for real" IMC approaches?
PPL/IMC holders have long lived with the "advice" of the CAA to apply such a factor to their approach minima, haven't they? Was that an unreasonable advice, making things unworkable?