Multiple choice has been around a long time but for much of it without official question databases. Additionally the added spice of penalty marking punished wrong answers whether honestly given or pure guesses. This made exam tactics very different from today.
Prior to that a decent reference library should give you samples of the exams when they were in written format - short essays and calculations in best handwriting. Although I started flying when motorways were cobbled and rainbows were in black and white these exams were before my time.
Rob