I'm a bit out of touch these days, but do FIC students still have to fly an assessment before the course to prove that they can fly to CPL standards, regardless of whether or not they hold a CPL?
Yes, there is a pre-entry flight test for the FI Course but not for the CRI Course. The content of the test is taken from the Class Rating proficiency check and its purpose is to allow the FIC instructor to assess the task ahead, not to test CPL standards.