The candidate card
Setting
Gastroenterology clinic
Candidate
This is original independent practice; all patient-specific details are fictional. You are a doctor seeing Mr Kurtis Fitzsimmons, aged 64, whose upper abdominal discomfort has persisted for three months despite prescribed acid-suppressing treatment. His GP has referred him for specialist assessment, and you recommend gastroscopy to investigate the continuing symptoms. His brother had stomach cancer, and today's discussion is to address his concerns and decide whether he wants gastroscopy arranged; detailed preparation and confirmation of procedural consent will follow with the endoscopy team.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about his continuing symptoms, response to treatment and main concern about the proposed test
- Explain why gastroscopy is recommended and why this does not mean that he has cancer
- Describe the camera test briefly, including possible tissue sampling and the main uncommon complications
- Address his concerns about discomfort and control by discussing comfort options; if he asks about a blood test, explain its limitations
- Agree whether he wants gastroscopy arranged, checking his understanding and outlining written preparation instructions and essential safety arrangements if sedation is chosen
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 seeing Mr Kurtis Fitzsimmons, aged 64, whose upper abdominal discomfort has persisted for three months despite prescribed acid-suppressing treatment. His GP has referred him for specialist assessment, and you recommend gastroscopy to investigate the continuing symptoms. His brother had stomach cancer, and today's discussion is to address his concerns and decide whether he wants gastroscopy arranged; detailed preparation and confirmation of procedural consent will follow with the endoscopy team.
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
- Begin by asking what he thinks the specialist referral means. His brother's cancer makes fear of the same diagnosis a likely concern, but let him identify it before explaining what is known and what remains uncertain.
- Review the discomfort and his experience of prescribed treatment before discussing the procedure. Avoid describing treatment failure as proof of a serious diagnosis; persistent symptoms explain the need to investigate, while the cause remains undetermined.
- Describe the camera's route through the mouth to the food pipe, stomach and first small-bowel section, then explain possible tissue sampling. Pause before adding detail so a procedural explanation does not crowd out his main concern.
- Keep the procedure explanation brief and include the main uncommon risks. Ask what specifically worries him about discomfort or control, then tailor the discussion of comfort options and his ability to ask for the test to stop to his response. If he asks for a blood test, explain why it cannot show the lining or obtain tissue; a full comparison of investigations is unnecessary.
- Close by agreeing whether he wants gastroscopy arranged. Outline written preparation and essential sedation safety arrangements, leaving detailed preparation and confirmation of procedural consent to the endoscopy team. If he remains unsure, agree a further discussion; cover results arrangements if time allows.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Would you like to pause before we go through the test?
- How much detail would feel helpful at this stage?
- What would you like clarified before making your decision?
- Is there anything about your brother's experience you want me to understand?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| Gastroscopy | A camera test to examine your food pipe, stomach and the first part of your small bowel. |
| Tissue sampling | Taking a small piece of tissue to examine in a laboratory. |
| Acid-suppressing treatment | Medicine that reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes. |
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
How much should I say about comfort and complications?
Offer discussion of throat-numbing spray and sedation without promising either is suitable for him. Explain uncommon bleeding, a tear in the digestive tract lining, chest infection and sedation complications. Check his questions rather than reciting unsupported risk figures. See [Australian gastroscopy information](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/procedures/surgery/gastroscopy).
How should I explain the limitations of alternatives?
Start with his preference and the concern behind it. If he asks for a blood test, explain briefly that it cannot directly examine the lining or obtain tissue. Avoid introducing a catalogue of tests; discuss other suitable approaches only if he wants more detail, without promising equivalent information.
What practical arrangements matter if he chooses sedation?
If sedation is chosen, arrange someone to escort him home and stay with him for 24 hours afterwards. During those 24 hours he must not drive, travel alone on public transport, operate machinery, drink alcohol or sign important documents. Follow the endoscopy unit's specific instructions and supply written preparation instructions without inventing fasting times. These safety arrangements are essential if sedation is chosen. Sources checked on 2 November 2026: [NHS gastroscopy aftercare](https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/gastroscopy/) and [Australian sedation precautions](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/procedures/surgery/gastroscopy).
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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