Wingman,
You will find that flying is a series of "tests". They range from an exam, to a "test" of your ability to simply return the aircraft, 'cause it's such a perfect day for flying, and you're enjoying it so much!
As said, stretching out your training over such a period is not ideal, but we understand it happens. The calendar requirements for rewriting the exams could be viewed as a deadline of sorts, or don't worry about it, and go and rewrite the exams, they're only tests. If you're keeping up with the topics, you're increase in experience should make the exams more easy to write - or, you really do need to study for them again!
You'll have to agree that your first flights after a long time away involved some re do, of lessons previously learned - so might your ground studies - no big deal....
Welcome to PPRuNe, and the world of aviation. You'll find constantly in aviation that someone's done that before, and there's probably a rule about it. Understanding the rules is good, turning them to your advantage is nice, but if you can't, just go with it. To quote Bader: Regulation is for the guidance of wise men, and the obedience of fools". The regulator thinks a student could become calendar stale on ground study after a number of years. A wise man might agree....