There is nothing wrong with a basic skills test to give club members some sense that all pilots are capable of reasonably handling themselves in the air and on the ground. Our test has a few more maneuvers with a few more repetitions than the one presented above, and is really geared towards "proving" two things:

1. Make sure the "new" pilot can play safely with others (including the kids on the adjacent soccer field).
2. Is confident and has enough skills that he can enjoy that new airplane he bought for a season or two.

Do the maneuvers have to be perfect? Absolutely not! Do they all have to be performed? Absolutely!