The candidate card
Setting
Sleep outpatient clinic
Candidate
This is original independent practice; all patient-specific details are fictional. You are a doctor reviewing Mr Toni Gonzalo, aged 66, who started CPAP for confirmed obstructive sleep apnoea three weeks ago. He reports mask noise, removes it during the night and remains sleepy during the day; his partner brought him today. A sleep-team equipment review can be arranged, but you have not yet examined the mask or established the cause of the noise.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out how he uses CPAP, what happens when the noise starts and how sleepiness affects daily activities and driving
- Explore the effect of the mask on his relationship and any worries about treatment safety
- Explain how CPAP works and why regular use matters, acknowledging the difficulties he describes
- Offer a sleep-team review of mask fit, possible leaks and equipment, responding to concerns without assuming the noise is harmless
- Agree an equipment and symptom review plan, partner involvement if he wishes, and safe transport while excessive sleepiness remains uncontrolled
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 doctor reviewing Mr Toni Gonzalo, aged 66, who started CPAP for confirmed obstructive sleep apnoea three weeks ago. He reports mask noise, removes it during the night and remains sleepy during the day; his partner brought him today. A sleep-team equipment review can be arranged, but you have not yet examined the mask or established the cause of the noise.
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 him to describe what happens from putting the mask on to removing it. The noise may raise worries about equipment safety, but ask what he thinks it means instead of assuming it is harmless or caused by a leak.
- Assess how sleepiness affects daily activities and driving early, before a detailed equipment discussion. If time runs short, transport safety takes priority over troubleshooting; his partner bringing him today does not establish who normally drives.
- Explore the effect on their relationship without assuming conflict or partner dissatisfaction. Ask what he would like his partner involved in, then explain CPAP's purpose in everyday language without framing difficulty using it as a personal failure.
- Explain that CPAP uses air pressure to help keep the airway open during sleep and works while being worn. Connect regular use with the treatment's purpose without promising when sleepiness will improve or assuming mask removal fully explains it.
- Arrange the sleep-team review before offering a technical explanation for the noise. Close with responsibility for equipment and symptom follow-up, agreed partner involvement and a transport plan; avoid treating equipment adjustment alone as evidence that sleepiness has resolved.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- That sounds frustrating when you are trying to sleep.
- We can take each difficulty separately.
- What part of using the mask feels hardest?
- Does this explanation fit with what you have experienced?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| Obstructive sleep apnoea | Repeated narrowing or blockage of your airway during sleep that interrupts breathing. |
| CPAP | A mask and machine that use air pressure to help keep your airway open during sleep. |
| Mask fit | How well the mask sits against your face. |
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
- Impetigo: explain prescribed treatment and attendance advice General practice, UK
- Scabies: agree coordinated treatment Student health clinic, UK
- Osteoporosis: explore reluctance about prescribed treatment Hospital outpatient bone-health clinic
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Medicine.
Questions about this role-play
How can I discuss driving without assuming he has fallen asleep at the wheel?
Ask directly about drowsiness, unintended sleep and any near misses or crashes while driving, without implying they occurred. Advise no driving while excessive sleepiness remains uncontrolled, arrange alternative transport and review before resumption. Do not offer caffeine or an open window as solutions. See [Austroads sleep-disorder guidance](https://austroads.gov.au/publications/assessing-fitness-to-drive/ap-g56/sleep-disorders/general-assessment-and-management-guidelines).
What should I say if he asks whether the machine is faulty?
Say that the cause cannot be established from the description alone. Ask him to bring the mask and equipment for inspection and, if practical, demonstrate what happens. Keep any proposed explanation conditional and avoid recommending pressure changes or replacement equipment before the sleep team has assessed the problem.
How can I involve his partner without letting them take over?
Address questions to him first and ask whether he wants his partner to add observations. Clarify which information he agrees to share and offer private discussion if preferred. Invite practical help only with his agreement; accompanying him does not automatically authorise decisions or access to his care.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
OETAce is an independent practice site. OET is a registered trademark of Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA); we are not affiliated with or endorsed by CBLA. All practice material here is original.