It is true of any exam - do it your way and risk failure, do it the prescribed way and you should pass. I suspect whatever the discipline we pursue we all feel in later life exams could be better prepared, and, importantly more relevant to the "real" world. I often wonder why this should be so and yet it is a criticism all too commonly voiced.
That said I dont think I have ever taken a "flying test" in which I was satisfied with my performance but I managed to pass everyone first time. That isnt a boast, simply a reflection that I did feel that by the time I took the test I was safe enough to get the job done and while the examiner had plenty of debrief points I did enough to convince him I was safe. That has always installed some confidence in me that the system works well most of the time because their were enough pendatic points to justify a fail.
BTW 421C - I dont know you, but might I ask please if you are from Germany or that region, or from India or that region?