I think the new hire failure rate is quite low. The training dept is mostly excellent. Don't think this place is a washout style training dept. The vast majority of instructors are excellent and want you to succeed. Study, prepare and you will be fine.

As for upgrades, they recently changed the upgrade training and made it a bit more difficult. On top of that people don't know what to expect since the program is new. (No good gauge out there yet?)

When I went thru upgrade it was very much an educational syllabus and not a hard, testing, washout style training program. I learned and enjoyed it. But I never felt like it was designed to wash me out. The new one might be a little different.