I didn't fail a check ride. But I do have an observation to make.

A bit of history: I had all kinds of problems getting my IFR training
done. So I paid some bucks and did it in a 141 school. The SR Trainer
did my check ride which was also training. He required me to get to one
point (VOR) full panel. The rest of the ride was partial panel
including the ILS back into the home field.

My point to this is, at that point in time, I could do partial panel
w/o breaking a sweat. Today, having had it happen in actual on two
different occassions (both times the DG went loopy in IMC at night) I
very nearly bent the plane. I can tell you that failing the real thing
generally doesn't have a good outcome.

Make sure that you can go up in the real stuff now and then (MVFR
works), and cover instruments. And if you can get to a good simulator,
have them fail instruments slowly (just like the real world).

Again, when it happens in the real stuff, if you don't get it right,
you may not get a second chance.

Later,
Steve.T
PP ASEL/Instrument