Crash Barrier, the system is an extended selection process.
Many years ago when I started on the road to becoming a pilot I was baffled by conficting advice given by all the training school,should I go via the modular route, or was the CAP509 route the best option, so I decided to ask the people who I would be looking to for a job after getting my licence, so I asked the chief pilot of a major charter airline, 'what he would be looking for?', he gave me the following response: ' I would not give you a job' was his first comment, 'I would recommend you doing a CAP509 course' why I asked? ' well to get 10 O'Levels in 10 years, what does that prove, but to get 10 O'Levels in 1 year proves to me that I can risk putting you through a type rating course and there as a good change you could keep up', so I decided on the 509 course.
Sorry for being of no help, but this may shed some light on the reason why the CAA put time limits on exams,to draw a line at a level of academic ability.