The candidate card
Setting
General practice
Candidate
This is original independent practice; all patient-specific details are fictional. You are a GP continuing today's consultation with Mrs Leanna Searle, aged 17, who has had six weeks of tiredness and occasional light-headedness; iron-deficiency anaemia is possible but unconfirmed. Acute physical and psychological safety screening, assessment of her ability to consent, confidentiality and urgent-help advice have already been addressed, with no indication for emergency care identified; a GP physical health review is booked for tomorrow whether or not testing proceeds, and the practice will contact her to discuss any results when available. She now declines blood testing and requests vegetarian food advice, but her usual food intake has not been explored and no specialist referral has been arranged.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Explore her needle concerns and previous experience, offering one practical adjustment she would prefer
- Ask briefly about her usual meals and any reasons for limiting food, without judgement
- Explain how blood tests check for anaemia and stored iron, and why food advice alone cannot clarify the cause of her symptoms
- Offer immediate referral to an age-appropriate eating disorder service for assessment if her intake raises concern, and seek her decisions about referral and blood testing without pressure
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.
This is original independent practice; all patient-specific details are fictional. You are a GP continuing today's consultation with Mrs Leanna Searle, aged 17, who has had six weeks of tiredness and occasional light-headedness; iron-deficiency anaemia is possible but unconfirmed. Acute physical and psychological safety screening, assessment of her ability to consent, confidentiality and urgent-help advice have already been addressed, with no indication for emergency care identified; a GP physical health review is booked for tomorrow whether or not testing proceeds, and the practice will contact her to discuss any results when available. She now declines blood testing and requests vegetarian food advice, but her usual food intake has not been explored and no specialist referral has been arranged.
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
- Explore what worries her about needles and any relevant previous experience. Acknowledge her account and offer one practical adjustment she would prefer. An adjustment is an option, not an obligation to accept testing. Source checked on 3 November 2026: [University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust](https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/display-pil/pil-having-a-blood-test--5915).
- Ask briefly about a typical day's meals, then follow up gently on any difficulty or limitation she describes. Avoid assuming that vegetarianism explains her symptoms. A full dietary history, diagnostic interview or meal plan is outside this segment.
- Explain simply that a blood count checks for anaemia and ferritin helps assess stored iron. Food advice alone cannot clarify the cause of her symptoms. Sources checked on 3 November 2026: [RCH iron deficiency](https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/iron_deficiency/) and [NHS iron-deficiency anaemia](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/iron-deficiency-anaemia/).
- If her account raises concern for an eating disorder, offer immediate referral to an age-appropriate service for assessment without waiting for blood results. Seek her decisions about referral and sampling, check understanding and respect informed refusal. The booked GP review continues either way; detailed coordination and repeated safety advice are unnecessary. Reassess promptly if new information changes urgency. Source checked on 3 November 2026: [NICE eating disorders guidance](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng69/chapter/recommendations).
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- You can tell me if a question feels uncomfortable.
- I can see that having a say in this matters to you.
- Which part of that explanation would you like me to go over?
- Have I understood what you want from today's visit?
- What worries you most about having the blood test?
- Could you talk me through what you usually eat in a day?
- Is there anything that affects what or how much you eat?
- The blood count checks whether you have anaemia, and the ferritin test helps us check your stored iron.
- If eating is difficult, I can refer you now to a specialist service for young people to assess what support you need.
- What would help you feel more comfortable if you chose to have the test?
- How do you feel about the options we have discussed? Your review tomorrow will go ahead whether or not you have the blood test.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| Iron-deficiency anaemia | Anaemia caused by too little iron to make enough haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. |
| Full blood count | A blood test that measures blood cells and haemoglobin to check for anaemia. |
| Ferritin | A blood test that helps show how much iron your body has stored. |
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
Do I need to repeat the mood and confidentiality assessment or take a full dietary history?
No. The card establishes completed acute safety screening, consent assessment, confidentiality and urgent-help advice. Ask briefly about usual meals and follow up on any limitation she describes. Respond to new concerns, but do not repeat a full assessment or construct a meal plan. Source checked on 3 November 2026: [RCH adolescent assessment](https://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/Engaging_with_and_assessing_the_adolescent_patient/).
What practical support can I offer if she is frightened of the needle?
Ask what worries her and what would help. Depending on her account, options include telling the blood collector about her concerns, lying down, looking away or distraction. Offer one suitable adjustment and ask her preference. Do not guarantee a painless procedure or that fainting cannot happen. Source checked on 3 November 2026: [University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust](https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/display-pil/pil-having-a-blood-test--5915).
What if she still wants food advice and refuses blood testing?
Check her understanding, respect her informed decision and continue care through the booked review. Acceptance and refusal can both meet the communication aim. Offer any indicated immediate specialist referral without making it conditional on blood testing. If a new serious concern emerges, seek urgent assessment rather than waiting. Source checked on 3 November 2026: [NICE eating disorders guidance](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng69/chapter/recommendations).
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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