The candidate card
Setting
Paediatric clinic, Australia
Candidate
In this original independent practice scenario, you are a doctor seeing Ms Kakoli Palit, aged 42, with her seven-year-old son because of persistent snoring. In this fictional case, he has snored on most nights for four months, and his teacher has recently reported difficulty concentrating. He is alert and breathing comfortably during today's examination, but sleep apnoea has not been confirmed. You propose referral to a children's sleep service for assessment and possible overnight monitoring, with further clinic review if symptoms worsen while waiting.
Task (interlocutor: relative)
- Find out about her son's night-time breathing and daytime functioning, including any witnessed pauses, gasping, breathing effort or colour change
- Explain suspected obstructive sleep apnoea in simple terms and why persistent snoring with other symptoms deserves assessment
- Describe the proposed specialist referral and possible overnight monitoring without promising a diagnosis or declaring that surgery is needed
- Explore her reasons for regarding snoring as harmless and address any concerns about assessment or treatment
- Agree referral and brief symptom notes, with prompt clinic contact for worsening symptoms; explain when to call 000 immediately (severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, unusual difficulty waking or unresponsiveness, or breathing that stops and does not resume; never delay help to record symptoms)
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.
In this original independent practice scenario, you are a doctor seeing Ms Kakoli Palit, aged 42, with her seven-year-old son because of persistent snoring. In this fictional case, he has snored on most nights for four months, and his teacher has recently reported difficulty concentrating. He is alert and breathing comfortably during today's examination, but sleep apnoea has not been confirmed. You propose referral to a children's sleep service for assessment and possible overnight monitoring, with further clinic review if symptoms worsen while waiting.
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
- Start by asking what makes snoring seem harmless to her, without treating that belief as negligence. Then request a description of a typical night, covering witnessed pauses, gasping, breathing effort and colour change, before asking about daytime functioning.
- Explain suspected obstructive sleep apnoea as possible blockage of breathing during sleep. Keep the concentration report separate from a confirmed explanation. His comfortable breathing today describes the examination; it does not establish what happens while he sleeps.
- Present referral as the next step in resolving uncertainty, with overnight monitoring a possibility rather than an inevitable procedure. Explain assessment before discussing treatment, so she can consider the referral without hearing it as a decision that surgery is required.
- A likely concern is what assessment could lead to, but ask rather than assume. Invite her to identify the part that troubles her most. Respond to that concern specifically; avoid overwhelming her with hypothetical treatments or dismissing her view of snoring.
- Close by agreeing the referral and asking her to explain the observation and contact plan in her own words. Clarify how she can reach this clinic without inventing contact details. If time runs short, prioritise agreement and the complete emergency advice.
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 Ms Palit, I'm one of the doctors here. It's nice to meet you and your son. Please have a seat.”
- “I understand you're concerned about his snoring. Could you tell me what you've noticed about his breathing on a typical night?”
2. Key questions
- “Have you ever seen him pause in his breathing, gasp or snort during sleep?”
- “Does he seem to be working hard to breathe at night, and have you noticed any change in his colour?”
- “How has he been during the day, and what has his teacher said about concentration?”
- “How do you feel about his snoring, and what do you think is behind it?”
3. Handling the patient's concern
Likely concern: She is likely to see snoring as common and harmless, and may be wary of tests or treatment for her son.
- “Thank you for explaining how you see his snoring. Many parents feel the same, and it's reasonable to ask whether an assessment is needed.”
- “Because he has snored most nights for four months and is struggling to concentrate, I'd like it looked at properly. What worries you most about having his sleep assessed?”
4. Explaining
- “He may have obstructive sleep apnoea, where breathing is partly blocked during sleep. It isn't confirmed. Snoring most nights with trouble concentrating is a reason to have it assessed. Does that make sense so far?”
- “I'd like to refer him to a children's sleep service. They may suggest overnight monitoring to see what happens to his breathing. I can't promise a diagnosis, and no decision about surgery has been made.”
5. Closing
- “So we'll refer him to the children's sleep service, you'll keep brief notes on his sleep, and you'll contact the clinic promptly if his symptoms worsen while you wait. Have I got that right?”
- “Call 000 immediately for severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, unusual difficulty waking or unresponsiveness, or breathing that stops and doesn't restart. Never delay help to write notes. Could you repeat that back to me?”
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- What have you noticed about his breathing on a typical night?
- Thank you for explaining how you see his snoring.
- Which part of having his sleep assessed would you like to discuss?
- Could you talk me through what you would do while waiting?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| obstructive sleep apnoea | Breathing that repeatedly pauses during sleep because the breathing passage becomes blocked. |
| overnight monitoring | Observing and recording what happens while he sleeps. |
| children's sleep service | A specialist team that assesses children's sleep problems. |
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.
More Medicine role-play cards
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All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Medicine.
Questions about this role-play
What if Ms Palit has not witnessed any breathing pauses?
Distinguish not having noticed pauses from knowing they never occur. Accept uncertainty without suggesting she should already have recognised a problem. Ask what she has actually observed, and do not make referral depend on her proving that pauses happen.
How should I answer practical questions about overnight monitoring?
The card does not establish the location, equipment, appointment timing or arrangements for a parent to stay. Acknowledge these as reasonable questions and offer to clarify them with the service. Avoid promising particular arrangements simply to make the referral more acceptable.
What emergency advice should accompany clinic review if symptoms worsen?
Contact the clinic promptly if night-time pauses, gasping, breathing effort or daytime symptoms worsen while awaiting assessment. Recurrent night-time pauses in an otherwise stable child do not, by themselves, require an ambulance. Call 000 immediately for severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, collapse, unusual difficulty waking or unresponsiveness, rapid deterioration, or if breathing stops and does not resume. Stay with him; do not await clinic advice or delay help to record symptoms. If he is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR and use an available AED following its prompts. Do not leave him alone or interrupt CPR to fetch an AED. If he is unresponsive but breathing normally, place him in the recovery position and monitor his breathing. Follow dispatcher instructions. NSW Health paediatric referral advice; Emergency signs; CPR guidance.
What if she says she doesn't want her son referred?
Explore her reasons without pressure and acknowledge that she knows her son best. Explain that assessment is about finding out, not assuming a diagnosis. If she still declines, respect that, keep the clinic review and 000 advice clear, and leave the door open.
How do I avoid frightening her when I mention 000?
Introduce it as a routine safety step for any parent in this situation, not a prediction. Say it once, plainly and completely, then ask her to repeat it back. Keep your tone calm and follow with reassurance that the clinic is available for worsening symptoms.
Sources
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