apart from the emissions and the headlamp aim, they are all things that you could have checked out beforehand, but, got to sympathise with people who either can't or don't have the time to be doing that as the MoT test is now a rip-off. costs about £40-£50 and, unless you know someone who is willing to bend the 'new' rules, you've got to pay the retest fee. if it doesn't go through first time these days, it can get v expensive
having a car checked before the test is more important than ever now, really