A lot has been said on this topic.
From what I gathered, I suppose that, if they really liked you during the assessment, you were offered a permanent SO, FO or SFO position, depending on experience (and maybe also performance during the assessment??...)
If you met the requirements but they want to make sure you are a good fit for the company, you were probably offered a 1 year contract, with a "frozen" permanent position waiting for you, depending on how your first year goes. I'm guessing a very high number of people will perform well enough and end up on a permanent contract, anyway.
Those saying this 1 year contract with the company is a permanent position, are simply playing with words. I think it is a step in the right direction, don't get me wrong. It is a contract with easyJet! But I can' accept that, having to go through another interview at the end of the contract, the company decides to call it a permanent position. It might become that - and probably will - but you are most definitely on a one year contract!
Having said that, it is a smart way of easyJet filtering a few possible mistakes during the initial assessment... There's always a couple of bad apples making it through the interviews and sim.
And my advice to those being offered this 1 year contract and feeling insulted, because they feel they are excellent and experienced pilots (with 10.000h on the Space Shuttle or whatever "experienced" is these days) is to prepare yourselves better next time.
Apparently there were real permanent contracts on offer here. Just not to everyone...