Boers, there's not much trg in KA and a lot of checking, having said that, what you say is correct and I didn't find the F/O course that daunting, nor did any others that joined around that time.
Can't help wondering if the new package has reduced the quality of candidate ?
Either way, I don't think a few people failing is a good reason for Gmima to reconsider joining, but the pay and conditions they are offering to live in a crowded, polluted, expensive city is.