The candidate card
Setting
Emergency department, paediatric area
Candidate
You are a doctor in the emergency department. Noah, aged 22 months, was brought in by ambulance an hour ago after a generalised seizure at home lasting about two minutes. His temperature was 39.2°C. He has a viral upper respiratory tract infection and red throat; he is now alert, drinking and playing. You have assessed him and diagnosed a simple febrile convulsion. You are talking to his mother, Ms Rachel Doyle, who is very distressed.
Task (interlocutor: parent)
- Find out what Ms Doyle saw during the seizure and what she is most worried about
- Explain what a febrile convulsion is (common, triggered by fever, usually harmless, not epilepsy)
- Reassure her about the long-term outlook and address her specific fears
- Advise on what to do if it happens again (stay calm, lie him on his side, time it, call an ambulance if longer than 5 minutes)
- Explain fever management and the plan for discharge (paracetamol for comfort, fluids, see GP, return if unwell)
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
- Start with her, not the diagnosis: ask what she saw and what frightened her most. After watching a seizure, parents are likely to fear the worst, so let her name the fear aloud before you reassure.
- Explain in short chunks with pauses, because she is very distressed and will absorb little. Use plain words: a fever set off a brief seizure in a young child, and this is not epilepsy. Say simple febrile convulsion clearly.
- Reassure only as far as the card supports: common, usually harmless, not epilepsy. Answer her specific fear directly rather than giving a general speech. Do not promise it will never happen again, since the card's own advice assumes it might.
- Give the seizure first-aid steps as one short, ordered block and ask her to repeat them back, because panic makes recall poor: stay with him, lay him on his side on a safe surface, do not restrain him or put anything in his mouth, and time the seizure. Call 000 if it lasts more than five minutes, if he has trouble breathing or turns blue, or if he does not wake up properly afterwards.
- For discharge, give the whole plan in one place: paracetamol for comfort, fluids, GP visit, and when to return. Finish by asking what still worries her. Typical error: leaving her reassured but with no clear list of when to come back.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- That must have been terrifying to watch. You did the right thing bringing him in.
- Take your time. I will go slowly and you can stop me at any point.
- He is alert, drinking and playing now, and that is reassuring.
- Can you tell me in your own words what you would do if it happened again?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| febrile convulsion | A fit brought on by a high temperature in a young child. |
| generalised seizure | A fit that involves the whole body, not just one part. |
| epilepsy | A condition where a person has repeated fits that are not triggered by a fever. |
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
She asks whether Noah could have died or been brain damaged. What can I say?
Stay within the card: this type is common, usually harmless and not epilepsy. Acknowledge how frightening it looked and name her fear aloud. Point to what you can see now: he is alert, drinking and playing. Do not quote figures or promise beyond your assessment.
Should I explain where the fever came from?
Yes, briefly. He has a viral upper respiratory tract infection and a red throat, which explains the fever. A clear cause helps a frightened parent feel less helpless. Keep it to a sentence and avoid suggesting she missed something.
What if she wants him kept in hospital?
Explore what would make her feel safe rather than dismissing the request. Explain that he has been assessed and is well now, then offer a concrete discharge plan with clear return advice. Feeling equipped often settles the wish to stay.
Sources
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