The candidate card
Setting
General practice
Candidate
You are a GP. Mr Jordan Kelly, aged 27, has booked an appointment saying he 'can't sleep'. In the waiting room he completed a depression questionnaire (PHQ-9) and scored 18, indicating moderately severe depression. He was made redundant from his job as a graphic designer three months ago. You have not met him before.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about his sleep, mood and how he has been coping since losing his job
- Ask sensitively about thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- Explain that his symptoms suggest depression, which is common and treatable, and outline the main treatment options (talking therapy, medication)
- Agree a safety plan and follow-up (crisis contacts, review within one week)
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
- Begin with his stated problem, sleep, and let the wider picture emerge. He booked for insomnia, so opening with the questionnaire score may feel abrupt. Use it as a gentle bridge to his mood and coping since the redundancy.
- Ask about self-harm and suicide in one direct, calm sentence once you have built some rapport and linked it to what he has told you. Typical error: vague wording that lets him avoid answering.
- Follow his answer with open questions about the thoughts, any plans and what has helped him not act. Shape the safety plan around what he says instead of using a fixed script. Do not guess his risk before asking.
- Name the problem as depression without blame or suggestion of weakness, and offer hope: common and treatable. Present talking therapy and medication as options for him to weigh, then ask which he would prefer.
- Make the safety plan concrete: Lifeline 13 11 14 for crisis support, a trusted person he can contact, and review within one week. If he is in immediate danger or cannot stay safe, call 000 and arrange emergency assessment; do not leave him alone. Ask him to repeat the plan back, and bring review forward if he worsens.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Losing a job can shake anyone's sense of who they are. How has it been for you?
- Sometimes when people feel this low they think about ending their life. Have you had thoughts like that?
- Thank you for telling me. That took courage.
- Depression is a medical condition, not a weakness or something you have done wrong.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| PHQ-9 | A short questionnaire that scores how low your mood has been recently. |
| suicidal thoughts | Thoughts about ending your own life. |
| talking therapy | Regular sessions with a trained therapist to work through thoughts and feelings. |
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
What if he says he has had thoughts of suicide?
Stay calm and thank him for telling you. Ask about plans, intent, access to means, past attempts and what has stopped him so far. If he intends to act or cannot stay safe, arrange emergency assessment, call 000 if there is immediate danger, and do not leave him alone. Otherwise agree support, crisis contacts and prompt review.
What if he denies any such thoughts?
Accept his answer without pressing, and note it. Still give the crisis contacts and the one-week review, because things can change and he needs to know where to turn. Check he feels comfortable telling you if that changes.
How much should I say about medication?
Keep it brief: it is one option alongside talking therapy and you can go through details together at follow-up. Avoid doses or long explanations. Ask what he thinks about each option, since his preference will shape the plan.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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