The candidate card
Setting
Respiratory clinic, UK
Candidate
You are a doctor in a respiratory clinic in this original independent practice scenario. In this fictional case, Mr Marcial Robledo, aged 62, has confirmed bronchiectasis and reports that his usual cough and sputum are unchanged, without fever, blood in the sputum or increased breathlessness. His documented individual plan is to practise the airway-clearance routine already taught by the specialist physiotherapist every day, but he struggles to fit it around work and finds it embarrassing. Explore practical support and arrange specialist review of the routine; you are not being asked to demonstrate a technique or prescribe a replacement schedule.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out how Mr Robledo manages his routine, what happens at work and whether his respiratory symptoms have changed
- Explain briefly how bronchiectasis affects mucus clearance and why regular airway clearance is recommended
- Acknowledge his embarrassment and explore acceptable practical support, including his preferences about workplace disclosure
- Agree a specialist physiotherapy review and interim arrangements, checking that he knows when worsening symptoms need medical help
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.
Prepare this card, then say it out loud.
Plan your opening and the tasks below. Keep these notes when you move to the AI role-play.
You are a doctor in a respiratory clinic in this original independent practice scenario. In this fictional case, Mr Marcial Robledo, aged 62, has confirmed bronchiectasis and reports that his usual cough and sputum are unchanged, without fever, blood in the sputum or increased breathlessness. His documented individual plan is to practise the airway-clearance routine already taught by the specialist physiotherapist every day, but he struggles to fit it around work and finds it embarrassing. Explore practical support and arrange specialist review of the routine; you are not being asked to demonstrate a technique or prescribe a replacement schedule.
Getting your plan ready…
Preparation is free without an account. AI conversation and marking need sign-in; your first role-play is free. Notes are saved on this device when available. This checklist is your plan, not a score.
How to approach this card
- Invite him to describe an actual working day and where the routine becomes difficult. Embarrassment is stated, but its meaning is unknown; explore what he finds uncomfortable rather than assuming colleagues have reacted negatively or know his diagnosis.
- Check his current respiratory symptoms before concentrating on logistics. Anchor the discussion in the reported unchanged cough and sputum and absence of fever, blood or increased breathlessness; do not turn that snapshot into a guarantee of continuing stability.
- Give a brief explanation that bronchiectasis makes clearing mucus difficult and that the taught routine helps with clearance. Link this explanation to his practical difficulty, avoiding a lengthy disease lecture that leaves little room to negotiate acceptable support.
- Explore options within his preferences about workplace disclosure, including whether any private space or practical accommodation could help. Keep disclosure his choice; the typical error is treating an employer conversation as compulsory before understanding his concerns.
- Arrange specialist physiotherapy review to assess how the existing daily routine can fit his circumstances. Until then, retain the documented plan without prescribing another schedule. Close with a clear review route; if time is short, prioritise one acceptable practical step.
Model route: what a strong candidate might say
Example lines in a workable order for about 5 minutes: opening, key questions, the patient's concern, explaining, then the close. Use them to plan, not to memorise: the patient's replies are not scripted here, and your next line should follow what they actually say.
1. Opening
- “Hello Mr Robledo, I'm the doctor in the respiratory clinic. Thank you for coming in today.”
- “How have you been getting on with your bronchiectasis and the airway-clearance routine you were taught?”
2. Key questions
- “What does a normal day look like for your routine, and how often do you manage to do it?”
- “What happens at work that makes it hard to fit in?”
- “Has your cough, or the amount or look of your phlegm, changed from your usual?”
- “Have you had a fever, blood in your phlegm or more breathlessness recently?”
3. Handling the patient's concern
Likely concern: He is likely to raise embarrassment about doing the routine, especially around work.
- “It's understandable to feel self-conscious about this, and thank you for telling me. It helps us find something that works for you.”
- “You decide how much to share at work, if anything. What would feel least uncomfortable for you?”
4. Explaining
- “In bronchiectasis the airways don't clear mucus well, so it can build up. Regular airway clearance helps move it out. Does that match what the physiotherapist told you?”
- “That's why doing your routine regularly matters. I won't change it today; the specialist physiotherapist can review how it fits around your work. How does that sound?”
5. Closing
- “So I'll arrange a specialist physiotherapy review, and meanwhile we'll try the option you found least awkward. Is there anything about work you'd like kept private?”
- “Get medical help promptly if your cough or phlegm changes, or you develop fever, blood in your phlegm or more breathlessness. Call 999 if you're struggling to breathe. Is that clear?”
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- You can decide how much personal information to share.
- Would you prefer to discuss privacy or scheduling first?
- Which possible arrangement would feel least awkward?
- Have I understood the difficulty at work accurately?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| bronchiectasis | A lung condition in which the airways have difficulty clearing mucus. |
| sputum | Phlegm or mucus that you cough up. |
| airway clearance | The routine you were taught to help move mucus out of your lungs. |
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). 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
What if he asks whether he can simply miss the routine on workdays?
Avoid authorising missed days or compensatory sessions because no replacement schedule is provided. Ask what he would need the physiotherapist to consider, and help him formulate that question for review. Do not improvise a technique demonstration to solve a scheduling problem.
What if he asks me to write to his employer?
Clarify the purpose, intended recipient and information he explicitly agrees to share before offering correspondence. Ask whether a description of the practical accommodation would meet his needs without unnecessary medical detail. Do not claim that an employer must provide a particular arrangement.
What symptom changes require medical help?
Contact your GP urgently or NHS 111 for a few small blood spots or streaks in your sputum, worsening breathlessness or signs of a chest infection, such as fever or pain when breathing or coughing. If you cough up more blood than a few small spots or streaks, or have severe difficulty breathing, call 999 or go immediately to A&E. Do not drive yourself to A&E; arrange for someone else to drive or call 999 for an ambulance. Source checked on 4 November 2026: NHS bronchiectasis.
He says he does not want to tell his employer anything. What do I do?
Respect that and don't push disclosure; it is entirely his choice. Explore options that need no disclosure, such as timing or privacy. Offer to pass his preferences to the physiotherapy team so they can consider them when they review the routine.
Should I demonstrate or change the airway-clearance routine?
No. The task is to explore support and arrange specialist review. Say clearly that the physiotherapist will look at the routine with him. Spend your time listening to the barriers and agreeing what he will do until that review.
Sources
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