The candidate card
Setting
Neurology clinic
Candidate
You are a doctor in this original independent practice scenario. Your adult patient was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease today, makes his own decisions and wants information about current support, leaving detailed future-care discussions until later. He has agreed that you may speak separately with his partner, Ms Vonnie Horton, aged 67, about current support and general uncertainty, but not personalised future-care predictions. Ms Horton wants to know when he will need full-time care; her partner is waiting nearby and is willing to confirm next steps before leaving.
Task (interlocutor: relative)
- Find out the main concern behind Ms Horton's request for a timetable for full-time care
- Explain her partner's information preference and what he has given permission to discuss today
- Reassure her that support is available for both of them, while explaining why an exact timetable cannot be given
- Agree a practical next step for support and a later discussion, with arrangements to be confirmed with her partner before departure
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 this original independent practice scenario. Your adult patient was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease today, makes his own decisions and wants information about current support, leaving detailed future-care discussions until later. He has agreed that you may speak separately with his partner, Ms Vonnie Horton, aged 67, about current support and general uncertainty, but not personalised future-care predictions. Ms Horton wants to know when he will need full-time care; her partner is waiting nearby and is willing to confirm next steps before leaving.
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
- Ask what worries Ms Horton most about future care. Focus on the main concern she identifies rather than exploring every possible planning issue or assuming she will provide care.
- Briefly explain that her partner has authorised discussion of current support and general uncertainty today, while choosing to leave detailed future-care information until later. Respond warmly if she has misunderstood that permission or feels excluded.
- Explain that Parkinson's progresses differently for different people, so an exact timetable for full-time care cannot be given. Acknowledge the difficulty of planning with uncertainty and respond to the concern she has shared.
- Offer one relevant source of current support, such as contact with a Parkinson's nurse specialist or information about support for partners. If she raises concerns about physical care, explain that her own needs matter and practical support can be explored as needs arise.
- Agree a practical next step and a way to return to questions later. Arrange to confirm the timing and scope of further discussion with her partner before departure, without pressing him to discuss future care today. A brief summary and an invitation to raise remaining questions are sufficient.
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 Horton, I'm the doctor who saw your partner today. Thank you for talking with me while he waits nearby.”
- “I understand you have questions about the future. What is on your mind most at the moment?”
2. Key questions
- “What's behind your wanting to know when he might need full-time care?”
- “What would help you feel more ready for what lies ahead?”
- “How are you coping at the moment, and what support do you have?”
- “Is there anything else you're worried about for the coming weeks?”
3. Handling the patient's concern
Likely concern: She likely fears being unprepared and wants a timetable for full-time care.
- “It's understandable to want to plan, especially after news like today's. Wanting to know shows how much you care.”
- “Your worry is valid. I can't give an exact timeline, but I'd like to make sure you both have support now.”
4. Explaining
- “Your partner has told me he wants information about current support today and prefers to leave detailed future-care discussions until later. He's agreed I can talk with you about current support and general uncertainty, not personal predictions.”
- “Support is available for both of you. Parkinson's affects people differently, so I can't give an exact timeline for care, and guessing wouldn't help you. Does that make sense?”
5. Closing
- “So the next step is a support contact for you both now, and a later conversation about the future when your partner is ready. Does that feel workable?”
- “I'll check this with him before you leave, as the later discussion is his decision. What other questions would you like to ask me today?”
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- What would feeling better prepared look like for you today?
- Your questions matter, even when an exact answer is unavailable.
- People's needs change at different rates, so I cannot give you an exact timetable.
- Would a support contact now and an opportunity to ask questions later help?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| consent | permission about what we may discuss |
| personalised future-care predictions | estimates of the care your partner might need later |
| future dependence | needing other people to help with everyday care |
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
Can I listen if she raises something outside the agreed discussion scope?
Yes. You can hear her concerns without confirming private information or answering an unauthorised question about her partner. Explain that listening does not expand his permission, and distinguish acknowledging what she says from sharing an individual clinical interpretation in response.
What if she asks for a general average instead of a personal prediction?
Ask what decision she hopes an average would help her make. A population figure cannot determine her partner's timetable, and Parkinson's experiences vary between people. Do not let an apparently general question become an indirect prediction about him. Parkinson's UK.
How do I involve her partner without making him feel pressured?
Invite him to check the proposed conversation arrangements, making clear that this is not a request to discuss future care immediately. Ask whether he wants Ms Horton present for that check. Do not use her distress to press him into changing his information preference.
What if she pushes for personal predictions anyway?
Stay kind but consistent. Explain that this is his information and he has not agreed to share it today. Offer general information and support, and invite her to encourage him to revisit the topic when he is ready. Don't hint at timeframes.
How do I confirm the plan with her partner before they leave?
Invite him in with Ms Horton, restate the agreed support contact and later discussion, and ask whether he wants anything changed. Keep to what he has permitted you to share, and don't reveal anything beyond it.
Sources
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