The candidate card
Setting
Community clinic
Candidate
You are a doctor in a community clinic. Mr Rodel Nepomuceno, aged 52, a restaurant owner, has come for the results of routine blood tests taken at a health check last week. His GGT and ALT are raised; his kidney function and full blood count are normal. His notes record him as a 'social drinker', and he expects the results to be normal.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about Mr Nepomuceno's alcohol intake in detail (amount, pattern, situations, symptoms when he goes without a drink; a 375 ml can of full-strength beer is about 1.4 standard drinks and a 750 ml bottle of wine about 8)
- Explain the blood test results and their likely link to alcohol in non-technical language
- Respond to his reaction and encourage him to change his drinking safely (Australian guideline: no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day; the liver often recovers; he must not stop or cut down sharply until his withdrawal risk has been assessed)
- Agree a plan (medically supported reduction with early review and daily checks in the first days if needed, warning signs needing urgent help, repeat blood tests and a liver ultrasound, follow-up in a few weeks)
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
How to approach this card
- He expects normal results and his notes say social drinker, so start by checking what he expects from the visit. Then ask about alcohol openly, asking for a typical week and heavier days separately, using container sizes so you can convert to standard drinks yourself.
- Ask when he drinks and what happens when he goes without a drink before you give the results. The answers decide how cautious your reduction advice must be. Stay curious rather than accusing, whatever the total turns out to be.
- Signal that the results may not be what he expects, then keep the explanation short: two liver tests are raised, kidney function and blood count are normal, and alcohol is a likely link. Do not call it a diagnosis; further tests are still planned.
- Respond to his reaction before quoting targets. If he is surprised or defensive, find out what is behind it. Then give the guideline limits and that the liver often recovers, and stress that he must not stop or cut down sharply until withdrawal risk is assessed.
- Close with the plan in order: supported reduction with early review, warning signs, repeat bloods and ultrasound, follow-up in a few weeks. Give the warning signs as one complete list from your service protocol. If time is short, prioritise not stopping suddenly, warning signs and the review date.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Your notes say social drinker; tell me what a usual week looks like for you.
- This may not be what you were expecting, so let me go through it slowly.
- What went through your mind when I mentioned the alcohol?
- I would like us to make the change safely, and I will support you.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| GGT and ALT | Blood tests that can rise when the liver is irritated or under strain. |
| standard drink | A measure that lets us compare different drinks by how much alcohol they contain. |
| alcohol withdrawal | Symptoms the body can have when alcohol is stopped or cut down suddenly. |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
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All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Medicine.
Questions about this role-play
How do I ask about alcohol without sounding judgmental?
Use his own label from the notes as a starting point and ask him to describe what it looks like in practice. Ask neutral, specific questions about days, places and containers, and respond to each answer with a calm acknowledgement rather than a comment on whether it is too much.
What if he says he drinks very little?
Do not challenge him. Ask for specific containers, such as cans, bottles or glasses, and convert them aloud to standard drinks, using the card figures of about 1.4 for a 375 ml full-strength can and about 8 for a 750 ml bottle of wine. Then compare the total with the guideline neutrally.
What if he says he will stop completely from today?
Acknowledge his motivation, then explain that stopping or cutting down sharply may be unsafe until his withdrawal risk has been assessed. Arrange the assessment and early review, with daily checks in the first days if needed. Do not invent your own reduction schedule.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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