Aren't the CAA IR exam screens going to disappear under EASA?
Maybe not till 2014 or whatever.
For me screens at-least permit me to look around the cockpit unrestrictedly
I agree with that, too. For the student, they are much better than foggles. I have had no problem flying with them.
However
IMHO one should not take off with them, and one should not land with them, particularly at an airport which is in Class G and which could therefore easily have incursions. I've had one airprox already (while I had foggles on; spotted by the instructor) and this is sure to become more common now that the CAA have moved away from fixed test centres and doing IR tests out of smaller "GA" airports. Places like Shoreham and Lydd are constantly getting people flying straight through their approach paths.
In an IR test, there is no reason to do either because you are not being tested on your takeoff technique and you are not being tested on your landing technique
And if departing a Class G airport, you are not going to be flying a SID.
AIUI the current CAA practice, from instructors I have flown with recently, the decision whether you pass or partial pass or fail is taken, and given to the candidate, during the flight (after the various bits have been completed) and then the screens can be removed for a normal landing. So, all approaches with screens in place could be planned and executed as missed approaches i.e. not below the MDA.